Forced Trials
by kurisleen
Summary: Eight months after Kurapika's encounter with the Genei Ryodan, she found her long lost uncle and finally focused in finding her clan's eyes. What she didn't know is that Kuroro Lucifer already found someone who could lift the nen curse she put in him. RnR
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Hunter x Hunter! I love Kurapika and Kuroro! _

**Warning**_**:**__ I turned Kurapika into a girl here because I don't want my parents catching me writing yaoi. Sorry! Don't Kill ME! And expect wrong spelling and grammars since I did not properly edit this! Thanks!_

**Summary:** _Eight months after Kurapika's encounter with the Genei Ryodan, she found her long lost uncle and finally focused in finding her clan's eyes. What she didn't know is that Kuroro Lucifer already found someone who could lift the nen curse. RnR!_

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Chapter 1: Norsalle

The whispers poisoned her mind as she travelled and grew. No, they're not whispers- they're screams of pain, agony and revenge. Red- all she can see is red blood spilt on the ground and the empty eye sockets of her people. It hurt. Everything hurts.

"Live… Kura.. pika… Live and… find them."

"Kurapika-sama?"

The voice pulled her back to reality as she abruptly snapped her blue eyes open. The fluorescent light glared at her slightly and she had to blink a little before turning to the person who called her.

"Yes, Sato?" she responded but did not tear her eyes away from the windows where she can see the beautiful ocean that waved at her like it was alive.

"Bethel-sama wants to see you." The guy named Sato replied and heaving a deep sigh, Kurapika stood up from her seat and walked out of her room to meet with the said Bethel. At the same time, Sato bowed a little in respect and followed her out.

The mansion where Kurapika lived is huge and beautiful. She can't even believe it herself. Just a few months ago, she was running around aimlessly, hunting for her clan's murderers under the guise of a male Kurapika but look at her now; back to her female self, living in an estate and being treated like royalty in the said estate.

She stopped in her tracks before opening the double doors in front of her. Kurapika didn't need to knock for Mr. Bethel must have known that she's already outside. She turned to Sato.

"Go back to you duty now, Sato." She ordered.

With a bow, Sato left without a word. Then, when the coast is clear, Kurapika pushed the double doors open and stepped inside. She saw a figure standing in front of a large portrait of a woman while smoking an expensive-looking tobacco. The man turned his head to where Kurapika is standing and smiled at her gently.

"How are you, dear?" Mr. Kairo Bethel asked as he paced forward towards Kurapika. He looked like any average middle-age man, with slightly wrinkled forehead, and equilinear nose, pale skin and deep blue eyes. The difference is that Mr. Bethel by not any means 'average'. He's a rich businessman with influences within almost all countries all over the world. No one messes with anyone who has some connection with the Bethel family. Not even the powerful mafias.

"Uncle." Kurapika regarded and bowed a little.

"I heard you weren't well days before. Is it because of your scarlet eyes?"

Kurapika wanted to lie but just looking at his eyes made her unable to do so. "Yes. I'm sorry, uncle."

Mr. Bethel chuckled. "Call me dad, okay?"

With a little awkwardness around the atmosphere, Kurapika nodded slightly. "Yes, unc- I mean, Dad."

"So, Sato told me there will be another auction in Norsalle City tonight. A pair of scarlet eyes will be there." Mr. Bethel informed with all seriousness. "Would you like to go?"

Kurapika's eyes lit up. Of course she'd want to go. She nodded eagerly.

"But this time, don't disobey my orders again and dress yourself up as a boy."

A frown. Last time, she went to a thanksgiving slash auction party to get the scarlet eyes while dressing up as his male version. Mr. Bethel wasn't so happy to hear about what she did. If only he knew what other guys do to her every time she dresses up as a girl. Kurapika is practically the head-turner of every occasion she attends and the blonde didn't like the feel of it. Most guys hit on her and she had to bring along her assigned body guards to keep the perverted guys away from her.

"Fine." Kurapika answered grimly and looked at her uncle. "Can I spend as much as I want?" she asked to which Mr. Bethel replied with a carefree hug.

"And, oh, win the Sword of the Nagas for me, will you? It'll be a great addition to my collection." he requested as he pulled back.

"Sure, dad." Kurapika smiled and then left the room to prepare herself.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

One month after she had captured and rendered the Ryodan head powerless, Kurapika had to go back to her duty as Neon Nostrad's body guard and under the guise of a sixteen-year old boy. Her boss then found out that his daughter's power is no longer accessible. This drove Wright Nostard into the edge to sanity. When everything seemed hopeless, the man sought help from a friend of his named Kairo Bethel. That's how Kurapika met her long lost uncle.

Of course, she heard about stories of a certain young man who violated the Kuruta tribe's most forbidden act; to marry an outsider. As punishment, the man was banished from the tribe and the people disowned him as a part of the clan. Kurapika never met him let alone seen his face but she knew it was her uncle Kairo, her father's younger brother. Her mother and father told stories about her uncle and it made her want to see him.

But after her tribe's massacre, she focused on finding and killing each and every one of those involved. That's why she was surprised when Kairo Bethel suddenly hugged her and took her home with him. He explained everything to her but Kurapika was at first hesitant whether she should believe him or not. When Mr. Bethel showed her his own scarlet eyes, she finally trusted him.

Mr. Bethel offered her help in finding the scarlet eyes that were circulated around the globe but he did not say anything about assisting her in her quest to bring justice to the death of her family. He had told her that revenge will not bring anything good to her well-being.

Kurapika sighed as she slipped the velvet dress that her uncle had prepared for her. The dress slid smoothly and it fit her body perfectly. Then, she faced the mirror and frowned at the sight.

"I don't feel like myself." She thought out loud before three knocks disturbed her thoughts.

"Kurapika-sama, this is Sato. The car is ready and waiting, Miss."

Kurapika's eyes twitched a bit. The people inside the mansion calls her 'Young Miss' and 'Miss' and she can't get used to that address despite the fact that she has been living with them for eight months now.

"I'll be right there." She replied and tied up her hair into a delicately made bun. Some short strand of her now shoulder-length blond hair hang at the side of her cheeks, giving her a fragile and innocent look.

Kurapika then started walking towards the door when she felt a sudden tug in her chest. She halted on her tracks for a while and clutched her chest, breathing heavily. Small beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Kurapika stayed like that for a while and after the throbbing sensation had died down did she ponder upon what could have happened that triggered the chain in her heart to send her a sign. A Sign.

Kurapika's eyes widened a bit when a conclusion jumped inside her head.

_Could it be? ...No. Impossible. _

_How could he manage to find a nen-remover in such a short time?_

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"Get ready. We'll go a raid the Norsalle auction tonight at 11. We'll meet up in the abandoned building near Ramos Ave. –Kuroro"

Shalnark stared at the plasma screen of his cell phone, dumbfounded. The number was their Danchou's but is it really possible? What if it's just a trap? No. He shook his head and turned to his other comrades, half of them observing his visage while half of them didn't give a damn.

"It's Danchou."

It's amazing how two simple words manage to capture the attention of each and every one of the people inside the room. Some of them watched in disbelief while some were already by his side and are fighting for the cell phone in his had to see for themselves whether the sandy-blond young man is just playing around.

Phinx was the first one to recover from the shock. "Where is he?" he asked seriously but the reluctance is evident in his voice.

"He didn't say. But he said we'll be meeting at Ramos Avenue in Norsalle City."

"Norsalle?" It was Machi, the nen-string user. "That's just a 30-minute ride from Ryuusegai." She informed.

"Let's get movin' then!" the samurai named Nobunaga shouted, impatient as always.

"Don't you think it's a trap?" Shizuku piped in while looking at them with her blank eyes.

"I think so too." Shalnark agreed. "I mean, why would Danchou suddenly text me, telling me that we'll be raiding the Norsalle auction tonight?"

Machi nodded. "And besides, he's still under the chain-guy's cursed nen. Danchou knows he'll die if he contacts us."

"Maybe the cursed nen was removed!" Nobunage reasoned, already getting ready to fly wherever Kuroro Lucifer might be.

"No." Shalnark firmly said. "If the nen really was lifted, he'd call us and not just send a text."

As if on cue, the techy guy's phone suddenly vibrated and rang. The word 'Danchou' flashed on the screen. The other Ryodan members looked at him expectantly but his hands remained unmoving.

"What are you waiting for? Answer it." Feitan scowled and Shlanark had to comply since he's the acting Danchou right now.

He pressed the answer button. "Hello? Danchou?"

_Shalnark._

"Danchou!" he young man exclaimed when he heard the familiar voice. There's no need to confirm it. It's definitely their Danchou! "What happened, Danchou? Has the cursed nen been lifted?"

_Yes._ A pause.

"Danchou?"

Suddenly, Nobunaga grabbed the phone from Shalnark and tucked the device to his ear. "Danchou! Where are you?"

_Tell the others to meet me at the planned place. I'll explain everything there._ Then he hung up.

"You idiot!" Shalnark said angrily and grabbed the cell phone from him. "What did he say?"

"To meet him at the meeting place." Nobunaga replied slowly, staring at the ground.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Feitan asked and hastily got up from where he was sitting under a pile of debris. "Let's get goin'"

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"For the last time, I don't want to dance." Kurapika had firmly refused while she sat down on one of the VIP tables with her body guards, waiting for the main event of the party to take place; the famous Norsalle Auctions.

She took a glance at her wrist watch and slowly frowned when the time told her that the auction will not start until one more hour passes. Then, her thoughts went back to the throbbing sensation she felt in hear chest before leaving the Bethel seaside mansion.

Kurapika was quiet sure that the tug was sign. But a sign of what? Kuroro Lucifer couldn't possibly find a nen-remover in a span of eight months. It's almost impossible to find one considering the number of nen-removers alive in this world. She herself didn't know that the Hunters' Association actually had one.

The music continued to fill the hall and couples waltzed on the dance floor. A few guys tried to ask her to dance but being a practical person, Kurapika refused every single one of them and if not for the Elite Seven, there would be no one who'll drag them away from her.

The Elite Seven is a group consisting of seven powerful nen users assigned to protect her. Yes, they are her body guards. Although Kurapika insisted that she'd be alright even without body guards, she can't deny the fact that they come in handy at times like this. Sato, her brown-haired butler, is one of them.

"Sato." She called out and the man was instantly by her side.

"Yes, Miss?"

"I'd like to get some fresh air. Find me in the balcony when the auction starts." Kurapika said and stood up. She quickly paced towards the open balcony of the hall where the fresh air entered.

The curtains flapped soundlessly and Kurapika was glad that she's finally away from the suffocating atmosphere of the room. She took out her cell phone from her bag and dialled a certain number. After a few rings, the call was finally answered.

_Hello? Kurapika?_ a small yet serious voice answered.

"Killua." Kurapika acknowledge.

_Hey, how are you? _Killua asked.

"Doing great. Say, I'm in Norsalle Auction right now and I heard a Benz knife is on the list. Would you-"

_Please win it for me! I'll pay later! _Killua had almost shouted from the other line.

Kurapika chuckled at her friend's reaction. "Fine, fine. I will." She could practically see him grin. "By the way, where are you? Are you with Gon?"

_Yep! We're in Whale Island, replanting some tress that were destroyed by a fire a few weeks ago. _

"I see. Can I speak with-" Kurapika didn't have the chance to finish. She noticed two oddly familiar figures walking in the forest just below the balcony where she was standing. Her eyes narrowed.

_Kurapika? Are you there?_

"I'll talk to you later, Killua." Kurapika replied and pushed the 'End Call' button.

Then, without batting so much as an eye lash, Kurapika stood on the concrete railings of the balcony and suddenly jumped down. She landed gracefully and soundlessly on the ground but she was upset why she had to wear a dress this night. Kurapika then, with her amazing skill in stealth, managed to follow the two figures without getting detected on her Zetsu mode.

Both figures were men in black suite and one of them has slicked-back hair which captured Kurapika's attention in the first place. The two men stopped on their tracks and Kurapika had to also stop and carefully hide behind a tree with her chains already summoned for any possible attacks. She decided to briefly glance at her watch to see the time and was disappointed when only twenty minutes had passed. When she looked back to where the two men were, they already disappeared.

"Can I help you with something, miss?" a baritone voice suddenly rang behind her.

Gasping in shock, Kurapika's chains disappeared in time before turning around and facing the person behind her. The man had slicked-back hair but to her utter disappointment, he had brown eyes (not black) and no cross donned his forehead like she expected. The dark globular earrings were also missing. However, his eyes held a very familiar stare that made her heart race. Kurapika focused her nen on her eyes and used gyou to see any traces of hidden nen from the man's body. When she found nothing a frown graced her visage.

_Maybe he's not a nen user. If he is, his Zetsu is perfect._

The man smiled gently at her. "Don't frown like that, miss. It'll ruin your night."

Kurapika looked away from the man's stare and then walked back to where she initially came from. It's almost impossible for her to have mistaken someone else for Kuroro Lucifer. At first she was very sure it was him but when she saw no cross tattoo on his forehead, it made her think twice. Since it was confirmed it's not him, she'd worry about the auction now.

But why would two men in formal suites be in a forest at a time like this?

But then again, why would a lady of her calibre is wandering in the said forest too?

XXXXXXXXXX

Kuroro Lucifer watched the retreating form of the girl silently, his eyes never leaving her figure. When she disappeared from the corner he was now pretty sure that she won't be following them again. Phinx suddenly whistled.

"Your type, Danchou?"

He smiled. "No." Kuroro replied and took out his cell phone and dialled Shalnark's number. "Shal, get ready. We'll start after I give the signal."

_Yes, sir!_ Shalnark replied eagerly and Kuroro hang up.

After the call, he held his palm and out of thin air, his Skill Book appeared. He flipped its pages until he found the skill he was looking for. His fingertips then glowed eerily red as he used the skill to make the cross tattoo on his forehead appear again. Kuroro smiled in satisfaction when he felt the familiarity of his tattoo again.

Phinx whistled for the second time. "Hisoka's ability came in handy, eh Danchou?"

Kuroro nodded but frowned slightly. "I only managed to steal half of his ability that's why I can't fully use Bungee Gum in battle." He explained.

"Well, it's better than nothing." Phinx watched as his Danchou tousled his hair a bit and wrapped a bandage around his forehead to hide the cross.

"Why don't you just use the ability again?"

"It takes up more nen than I expected." Kuroro replied and looked at his comrade. "Don't you think that girl was a bit familiar?" he asked, referring to the girl who followed them a while ago.

"Umm... Yeah." Phinx replied. "First person that came to my mind when I saw her was the chain assassin. But the chain assassin was a guy and not a cute lady."

Kuroro nodded in agreement at his Spider's assessment. "Well, the chain assassin is after all very good in cross dressing. He managed to even fool me."

"Really?"

"Now, let's not think about that. We have an auction to raid."

Phinx grinned mischievously.

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"Kurapika-sama!" Sato called out, almost sounding relieved when he saw Kurapika approaching the entrance door of the building. "We've been looking all over for you!"

"I'm fine, Sato. There's no need to cause such ruckus." Kurapika said while waving her hand in dismissal. "How's the auction now?"

Sato's eyes then widened slightly. "Miss, the auction has been moved early! That's why we're looking for you. The scarlet eyes are up any second now."

Without another word, Kurapika quickly dashed towards the hall where the auction party is being held. True enough, when she entered the said hall, the item on stage was a pair of precious scarlet eyes floating inside two cylindrical containers. She can practically see the hungry eyes and the hidden desires of the people inside the hall to get their filthy hands on those magnificent relics. It disgusted her.

"The bid starts on one billion zennies!" The announcer declared and a couple of people started bidding on the item.

"Miss, Kenji already bid and won the sword for Bethel-sama's collection." Sato informed. The Kenji he mentioned is also a member of the Elite Seven.

"How about the Benz knife?" Kurapika asked.

"We got if for 250 million zennies."

"2.5 billion!" Kurapika heard someone shouted. If possible, she didn't want to linger in this place filled with mafia heads that's why she decided to bid a price that no one will dare to compete with.

"Seven billion zennies!" Kurapika declared and all eyes turned to her. Even the announcer was a bit astonished to hear someone put such a high price on a pair of eyes. On Kurapika's side, she didn't give a damn about how expensive it will cost her. The only thing that mattered to her to get those eyes back.

"7.5 billion!"

Shocked, Kurapika turned towards the familiar baritone voice and found the man she saw and followed in the forest sitting on one of the VIP tables too. The same brown eyes but with hair down and a bandage around his forehead. The bandages managed to raise the suspicions Kurapika had for the man.

"7.7 billion." Kurapika competed.

"8 billion."

Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "8.5 billion."

They two continued bidding and seems like no one had any intention of giving up. Until such time that the money reached 15 billion did the man stopped competing against her. The people around them clapped their hands when Kurapika finally won the item. She then sent Sato to fetch the scarlet eyes while she waited on her table. She took a swift glance at the direction where the bandaged man was but he disappeared again only to reappear at her side.

"Fancy meeting you again here, miss." Kurapika didn't say anything but the man continued. "Is this seat taken?"

"Go ahead." She gestured rather too coldly.

"I can't believe I'm actually talking to the Bethel family's heiress." The man said and Kurapika' eyes twitched a bit. "I'm Krisu, by the way." Krisu held his hand, ready for a hand shake.

Kurapika stared hesitantly at the hand before shaking it. "Kurapika Bethel."

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"Kurapika Bethel."

At the mention of her name, Kuroro smiled at himself inwardly and let go of her hand. He wanted to slap himself for not realizing it sooner. Now that he already confirmed it, he actually saw the similarities between the chain assassin and Kurapika Bethel. Both had blond hair, blue mesmerizing eyes, and pale complexion. But still he wanted a more concreted evidence that will prove that Kurapika Bethel and Kurapika Kuruta is just one person.

"Well, then." Kuroro stood up. "I guess it's time to start."

"Huh?" Kurapika was suddenly not able to move. She struggled but it was futile.

"It has been a while, chain assassin."

Kurapika looked up and in an instant, her eyes glowed scarlet.

XXXXXXXXXX

**Author's note: **_What do you think? BTW, Krisu is the Japanese translation of the English name Chris._

**Next:** _What will happen now that Kurapika came face to face with her clan's murderer? How will Kuroro handle the situation and fact that the chain assassin is actually a girl? And who are the members of the legendary Elite Seven?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Hunter x Hunter! I love Kurapika and Kuroro!_

**Warning**_**:**__I turned Kurapika into a girl here because I don't want my parents catching me writing yaoi. Sorry! Don't Kill ME! And expect wrong spelling and grammars since I did not properly edit this! Thanks!_

**Summary:** _Eight months after Kurapika's encounter with the Genei Ryodan, she found her long lost uncle and finally focused in finding her clan's eyes. What she didn't know is that Kuroro Lucifer already found someone who could lift the nen curse. RnR!_

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Chapter 2: Chase

The entire hall was suddenly filled with screams and gun fire. From the corner of her eyes, she saw a man lying on the floor- dead and soaked with blood. Other visitors tried to escape, taking the entrance-exit door but a diminutive, green-haired guy was already waiting for them, mercilessly striking them down.

"What the hell! Stop this" She shouted and Kuroro chuckled darkly. Seeing the bloodshed and not being able to do anything about it sunk the girl deep and Kuroro knew about that. It reminded her of her clan's massacre. He bent down to her eye level and scrutinized her face as he held his Skill Book open on his left palm to keep the binding ability intact. "You bastard!"

"Surprised? I'm surprised myself. Didn't think this twist would happen."

"Shut up!"

"Pity. This ability only binds the body but not the mouth." Kuroro sighed dramatically.

"A pity indeed." Kurapika glared daggers at him and if looks could kill, he'd be dead by now. "Sato! Kenji!" she suddenly called out and the next instant, two balls of concentrated nen came hurling down towards Kuroro.

The man jumped out of the way immediately and he managed to avoid the catastrophic damage it would have caused him. Amazingly, nothing happened to the Kuruta who was just a few inches away from him. He used gyou and saw a protective cocoon of nen enveloping the girl. Then, four more figures emerged behind Kurapika. Two males and two children; fraternal twins of opposite sex. Kuroro could tell that the four newcomers are powerful nen users. The twins were the ones responsible for the nen shield that protected Kurapika. Kuroro closed his Skill Book and the bind finally released Kurapika

"Kurapika-sama!" the twins cried out and hugged Kurapika.

"Eri, Yuri." Kurapika said and looked at Kuroro angrily. "Get him."

It happened so fast. One moment the twins were just by the blonde's side and the next instant, they were already in front of him with unsheathed twin swords, ready to strike him down. Kuroro jumped up and, evading the slice that the twins sent. But as he jumped out of the way, another pair of nen fireballs came and hit him. The attack singed the sleeves of his black suite and burned the skin underneath it slightly.

The twins stared at him blankly as he landed on the floor effortlessly. Kuroro could tell that the twins are not just any ordinary children. Kurapika is now up on her feet with chains clanking wildly on her right hand, ready to strike any moment now.

"Machi!" Kuroro called out and the nen-string user was immediately by his side, carrying a box. The Spider head smiled sinisterly as he eyed the said box and took it from Machi's arms.

Feeling offended by his smile, Kurapika summoned her chain jail and lunged it towards her enemy. But she stopped half-way when Kuroro said something very disturbing.

"Inside this box is a pair of _real_ scarlet eyes."

Kurapika stared at him unbelievably and at the same time, Sato opened the box he got from the facilitators and saw the same scarlet eyes. But by using gyou, he declared that the relic was made of En which proved Kuroro's statement true; that he got one pair of authentic scarlet eyes.

"Give me that back before I rip your head off." Kurapika growled at him which Kuroro responded with a smirk.

"Then come and get it."

Kuroro backed away from them snd suddenly jumped down from a balcony nearby, landing into the heart of the Norsalle forest. Machi and two more Spiders immediately followed him. Kurapika wanted to chase him but to her utter dismay, Sato interfered and insisted on doing the pursuit for her.

"Let the Elite Seven do it, Kurapika-sama." He had told her and without waiting for her indignant response, he also jumped out of the hall through an open window nearby.

Kenji, Eri and Yuri also followed the butler. Kurapika gritted and clenched her fists in anger as she reailized that her bodyguards had ignored her. After a while, three more people came inside the hall and rushed towards Kurapika who was fuming.

"Kurapika-sama!" a brunette girl called out.

"Seiya, this is an order." Kurapika almost angrily yelled at her. "Stay here with Jo and heal the survivors." She looked around and her face sported a look of horror and anger when she saw how badly the visitors got hurt. Some of them were barely breathing while others have already breathed their last. Then, she turned to the other new comer who came along with Seiya and Jo. "Aki, follow me out." She ordered and left the building the same way Kuroro did with the black-haired girl named Aki tailing behind her loyally.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Danchou, is this really a good idea?" Phinx asked his Danchou while jumping from one branch to another while keeping his senses alert in case their pursuers suddenly overtake them. The eyebrow-less man shifted his head a little around and still felt four enraged nen-users still chasing after them.

"First, we must get rid of her bodyguards then we'll let Nobunaga do what he was always itching to do to her." Kuroro explained once again to his comrades before looking down and muttered, "We're here."

Kuroro, Machi, Feitan, and Phinx landed on the solid ground of an area of the Norsalle forest that is clear of trees and plants. After a few seconds of waiting, their pursuers arrived and landed with a soft thud on the ground. Before anyone could say a word, the male twin spoke first.

"Give that back. Kurapika-sama won it fair and square, you good-for-nothing bastards." The child yelled, referring to the scarlet eyes inside the box.

Kuroro swore that he heard Phinx choke when the kid named Eri finished talking. From the looks of it, he looked like he's just 12 years old or younger.

"Yeah!" Yuri shouted angrily at them. "If you won't, we'll have to take it by force!" she then unsheathed her twin swords together with her brother.

"Eri, Yuri." Sato warned the twins then turned to Kuroro. "That item may mean nothing to you but it means everything to our Kurapika-sama. Please give it back."

"Hell! We—" Phinx was not able to finish his sentence when Kuroro held up his hand to stop him.

"We'll pay you if it's money that you want. Name your price." Kenji offered.

Kuroro smiled at the four. "I'll give this back if Kurapika comes here herself." He proposed.

Sato glared at him and his right hand is slowly gathering up nen to create another nen fireball. Of the Elite Seven, he and Kenji are of emission types while the twins belong to the transformation group.

"Danchou," It was Feitan. "Let me fight him." The small guy gestured towards Sato.

"Go on." Kuroro said and stepped back a little.

Feitan smiled sadistically underneath his mask. Sato must have comprehended what the diminutive man wanted so he also stepped forward and fell into an offensive stance. The next moment, the two figures disappeared and reappeared fighting above them, airborne.

"He's good." Phinx whistled to which Machi agreed with a slight nod.

But Kuroro's focus was not on the fight but on the fraternal twins who're not paying attention like him. Eri and Yuri are staring at him with a certain degree of anger while emitting an enormous amount of killing aura. It reminded him of Hisoka in his killing frenzy. An explosion was suddenly heard and Kuroro tore his attention away from the children and back to Feitan and Sato.

The two were back on the ground, panting. Feitan's mask was scorched, revealing his gritting visage. Sato on the other hand was also hurt as shown by some scratches on his face. They were about to lunge at each other again when two more figures appeared from the bushes and joined them. Sato's eyes widened in shock and dismay combined.

"Kurapika-sama!" Kenji approached Kurapika but the latter gave her an icy glare that made the hair on his nape stand. Then, the man turned to her companion. "Aki?"

"You idiots!" Aki stomped towards Kenji and gave him a bone-crushing elbow on his stomach."Who told you four to chase them," she pointed towards Kuroro's group. "without waiting for Kurapika-sama's orders?"

The said Kurapika-sama was already walking towards Kuroro, red eyes, chains and all. She's bristling in uncontained anger. Sato forgot Feitan in an instant and stepped in front of Kurapika.

"Move." Kurapika ordered but she became angrier when Sato did not comply. "You've disobeyed me once tonight. Don't do it twice."

Kuroro smiled amusingly as he watched the scene before him. Sato was reluctant at first but he finally stepped aside at length but his eyes never left his master's form as she continued walking towards the Spider head. She slowly summoned the chain jail but halted a few feet away when a certain memory clouded her mind.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"_Kurapika… Kairo"_

_Tears streamed down restlessly down her cheeks as she clasped her Aunt Zali's hand. Her Uncle Kairo stood beside her, watching his wife's dying form._

"_Zali." Kairo softly whispered and bent down to caress her cheeks. "Just rest."_

"_I don't… have… any regrets."_

_Kairo smiled. "I know. I love you."_

_Zali turned her eyes to her niece. "Dear, forget… about… them." She uttered despite the pain in her chest. "Forget… about… revenge." _

"_Aunt Zali... I..."_

"_Promise... me Kura... pika." _

_Kurapika did not answer but she slightly nodded. Then, Zali raised her right hand which Kurapika was holding a while ago and let it rest on the Kuruta's chest. The blonde could only stare at her aunt's gesture with her eyes red and puffy from crying. A few moments later, Zali willed her white nen to flow from her hand and entered Kurapika's chest. _

_The blonde Kuruta gasped at the sudden grip in her chest. Out of instinct, she swatted her aunt's hand away (but not too roughly) and clutched her chest._

"_Aunt Zali... what did you just do?" Kurapika asked but before Zali could answer her question, she smiled at her and closed her eyes. Her face is donning a peaceful expression._

_The rain poured savagely like Kurapika's unstoppable tears._

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Kuroro's eyebrows furrowed at the sight of the blonde Kuruta staring at him with an astonished expression. He was already prepared to take on the girl if she makes the first move in attacking him but he did not expect her to suddenly stop on her tracks. Her eyes that were scarlet just a few moments ago turned back to its original ocean blue hue but the chains remained materialized on her right hand.

"Should I finish her, Danchou?" Machi asked and Kuroro shook his head. Then, he slowly put the box on the ground and Kurapika followed the item with her eyes.

"What do you want in exchange for the eyes?" Kurapika asked calmly which surprised Kuroro and his Spiders.

"Nothing you can give." He challenged.

"Try me." The girl retorted and Kuroro could feel a hint of indignation in her tone.

Kuroro didn't answer at once. He was weighing things in his mind. The Kuruta is a girl and not a boy; a lie which he believed for eight months until tonight. When an idea finally entered his mind, a predatory glint was evident in his eyes.

"I want _you_."

Kurapika's eyes widened and so did the members of the Spiders and Elite Seven.

"W-what?" she stuttered.

"Join the Spiders."

"Never!"

Kuroro raised an eyebrow at that and smiled amusingly at her reaction. The Kuruta's eyes are starting to slowly turn from ocean blue back to scarlet again but it's clear that she's trying so damn hard to contain her anger. Sato and Kenji were waiting nearby behind her, alert and ready. He can also feel his comrades eyeing and weighing the current situation. They are outnumbered and it is not wise to provoke the Kuruta since she might as well order her bodyguards to kill the four of them at one go. The twins looked ready enough to kill them at any given second.

"Well, then." Kuroro finally said at length. "Join the Spiders or..." he opened his Skill Book, flipped its pages and summoned a fire ability he recently stole. "I'll burn this box right here and now."

"You bastard." Kurapika gritted her teeth. "Is killing my whole family not enough for you?"

"I didn't know one survived." The Spider head spoke. "What a grave mistake I made. But Let me tell you one thing, I enjoyed fighting and gauging the eyes out from your tribe mates. It's worth it."

The provocation worked wonders. Just as what Kuroro had expected, Kurapika lunged at him with her chain jail which barely missed him by an inch. The chain flew past him and towards Machi. The nen-string user jumped out of the way while Phinx ducked and dived for the box which Kuroro put on the ground.

The Elite Seven were also quick to burst into action. Sato and Kenji worked together and attacked Feitan with their Hatsus. The twins took the liberty of going after Phinx who was the one holding the box protectively. Eri had transformed his nen into an icy-like substance which he can control to be shaped into any kind of weapon he wished. He moulded needles from his nen and threw them at Phinx. However, the eyebrow-less man easily dodge the attack and Eri had to withdraw his nen back. But at the same time, Yuri was also transforming her nen into some kind of colloid which she scattered on the possible areas where Phinx may land. Unfortunately for Phinx, he got himself stuck on the substance.

"Gotcha!" Eri and Yuri both shouted and landed on the ground, a few feet away from Phinx.

"What the hell, you brats!" Phinx shouted angrily and tried to jump up again with all his force. Seeing the man's attempt, Yuri tightened the hold of her nen on his legs.

Meanwhile, Aki took on Machi and the two engaged on a serious and brutal fight. Aki belonged to the reinforcement group. She may look like a fragile girl on the outside but she can unleash hell with just one punch from her fist.

Kurapika on the other hand had sent a nasty kick on Kuroro's side. The latter was thrown back a few feet but managed to shield himself with his nen. Once again, he summoned his Skill Book to the real world. Kurapika didn't allow him to flip the book's pages for she threw her chain jail at him again and Kuroro had to dodge it.

The Kuruta stopped for a moment and panted hard. Her scarlet eyes are starting to wear her out. In the past, she can use her eyes for at least two days but now, one to two hours of usage drains her stamina so fast. If this continues, she'd pass out any moment now.

"Kurapika-sama!" Sato called out, worry evident in his voice.

"I'm your opponent, bastard!" Feitan shouted and tried to slice Sato with his umbrella slash sword. That attack hit the Elite Seven member precisely on his right pectoral and red blood surge out of the wound. Kenji immediately released another nen fireball towards Feitan and then rushed on the way to Sato.

"Sato!" Kurapika lost her focus for just few seconds but that was enough for Kuroro to quickly teleport in front of her and grabbed her right wrist and twisted it to her back.

Kurapika gasped in pain and she berated herself for being unfocused during a fight with her mortal enemy. Kuroro firmly held her on the ground, took out his Benz knife from God-knows-where and pointed the dagger at the Kuruta's neck. The tip of the knife slightly sliced her delicate skin and fortunately for her, the Benz was not poisoned.

"Stop or I'll kill your master." Kuroro declared with a serious tone.

All Elite Seven members immediately stood still when they saw the situation where their Kurapika-sama is in. The twins had forgotten about Phinx and quickly went to where Kenji held Sato. Feitan, Machi, and Phinx retreated like what their Danchou gestured them to do. Kurapika struggled effortlessly just to get out of her mortal enemy's grip. Just then, Kuroro raised his free hand and hit the blonde Kuruta's neck with enough strength to make her pass out.

The Elite Seven must have found the action revolting for they all sported the same horrified looks which then transformed into angry and pissed off ones.

"How dare you!" Aki shouted angrily.

"Don't come after us or I'll kill her." Kuroro replied and slipped his arms underneath the blonde's knees, carrying her bridal style. Then, he entered the forest with his Spiders once again and was swallowed by the darkness.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Danchou!" Shalnark almost shouted when Kuroro arrived in their new hideout with the bundle in his arms.

Feitan, Machi, and Phinx had taken their respective places in the old warehouse while Kuroro gently placed his captive on an old and dusty mattress on the ground. He could feel the several pairs of eyes boring right at him, asking some unspoken questions. Nobunaga was the first to stand up and interrogate their Danchou.

"Who is she, danchou? Your girlfriend?" Nobunaga said jokingly with a grin on his face.

"No. It's the chain assassin." When Kuroro spoke that, the grin quickly disappeared from the samurai's face and he immediately unsheathed his sword.

"Let me kill the bastard." He almost shouted and sauntered towards the blonde's sleeping form.

"Nobu." The spider head called out and held up his hand to stop his fuming comrade.

"But Danchou, that's a girl. The chain assassin is a guy." Shalnark said with doubt.

"Long story but I can assure you that this girl is our chain assassin."

Everyone in the room stared at the figure that was still unmoving. Nobunaga was still fuming and Franklin had to practically drag him out of their Danchou's face before the Spider Head loses his temper on the said samurai.

"What should we do to her, Danchou?" Shizuku piped in.

Kuroro put his nad on his mouth in a brooding manner, a gesture he usually does whenever he engages into a session of deep thinking and planning. After a few minutes, he finally looked up and stared at his comrades.

"I want to steal her twin bodyguards' nen abilities so we're going to wait until they arrive here to rescue her." He stopped for a while then continued. "We're going to eliminate them after I've stolen the skills then Nobu," Kuroro turned towards the samurai. "Make sure that before cutting her head off, her eyes are in their most scarlet hue."

Nobunaga's eyes lit up and he nodded eagerly. The other Spider members stood up and readied themselves for the possible early arrival of the chain assassin's bodyguards. Kuroro was about to go inside another room to change into his Danchou attire when he felt their captive stir in her slumber. He turned around and saw just in time the Kuruta fluttering her eyes open.

"She's waking up!" Shizuku stated. Trust her simple-minded personality to mention the obvious.

In the next instant, everyone in the room but Kuroro fell into a defensive stance.

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**Author's Note:** _I'm sorry if I'm such a crappy author. So, what do you think? Please RnR!_

**Next:** _Kurapika is waking up! Kairo Bethel is angry... very angry! What other weaknesses does Kurapika hide aside from the fact that she can't use her chain jail against anyone but the Spiders?_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Hunter x Hunter! I love Kurapika and Kuroro!_

**Warning**_**:**__I turned Kurapika into a girl here because I don't want my parents catching me writing yaoi. Sorry! Don't Kill ME! And expect wrong spelling and grammars since I did not properly edit this! Thanks!_

**Summary:** _Eight months after Kurapika's encounter with the Genei Ryodan, she found her long lost uncle and finally focused in finding her clan's eyes. What she didn't know is that Kuroro Lucifer already found someone who could lift the nen curse. RnR!_

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Chapter 3: Weakness

Kurapika winced in pain as she tried to push herself up in a sitting position. The dress she's wearing made her feel uncomfortable and how she wished she can tear it off her body right now. As she fluttered her eyes open, everything came into a hasty blur. She can feel hostile and unreceptive auras surrounding her. She shook her head a bit but quickly regretted the action for headaches came swirling down her.

"Finally awake?" a familiar baritone voice asked coldly and she dreaded the sound of it. Kurapika immediately looked up and everything turned red in an instant. She gritted her teeth in anger.

The chains on her right hand materialized but before she could even stand from the mattress that she was sitting on, Machi was already behind her, binding both her hands with her nen-strings. The Kuruta gasped in pain when the nen-string user pricked her wrist with a nen needle to paralyze her body.

"What do... you... want?" Kurapika asked in futile attempt to read the cold and calculative eyes of the man in front of her. The man she badly wanted to kill.

"That's one hard question to respond to, Kuruta." Kuroro replied while shoving both hands inside his pants' pockets and looked down at Kurapika to meet her magnificent scarlet eyes. "Better leave it unanswer." Then, he looked up to where the entrance doo is. "Any moment now, your bodyguards will come here in attempt to rescue you." A smirk. "The twins' abilities looked interesting."

Kurapika's eyes widened. "Don't dare-"

"As if you can do anything about it!" Nobunaga burst out, interrupting the blonde from finishing her words. "Right after we've killed your comrades, you're next!" he was fuming.

"Bastard." Kurapika hissed. She felt so useless and trapped right now. Her scarlet eyes are starting to wear her out again and she can't do anything about it since she's paralyzed right now.

"Ne, Danchou!" Phinx called out. "We can certainly enjoy her physically before her bodyguards arrive, right?" he asked, perversity reigning in his tone.

The Kuruta felt herself stiffen at the sudden question even though it was not addressed to her. The fact that she's under paralysis didn't hide the horror in her face and her useless struggle to get out of the numbness did nothing to help her in this situation.

"Go on. Help yourself." Kuroro shrugged nonchalantly to his comrade. He spun on his heels and sauntered towards another room to change his attire. The man chuckled at himself for the sudden realization that he was even thinking of changing when they're in a critical situation right now. He looked back a bit to see the Kuruta's reaction which he assumed would amuse him. And it did.

Her face was a combination of horror, disgust, fear, and anger as she watched Phinx walking towards her direction. Machi had backed out but her nen-strings remained tied around Kurapikas wrists. When the eyebrow-less man was a mere inch away from the girl, he bent down to her eye level to scrutinize her face.

"You've got a pretty face yet you've managed to deceive us, making us believe that you're male." Phinx said amusedly.

"Get... get away from me." Kurapika almost shouted but her voice sounded somewhat constricted as if she was choking in her words.

Phinx tilted her chin with his thumb. "When your comrades realize that they've arrived too late, the look in their faces would be totally worth it." He mocked.

That next thing that took place was so quick that Kurapika was not able to process the events clearly in her head. The only thing she remembered in the past few seconds was a huge explosion at the back of the building, the Elite Seven charging inside, and Sato and the twins standing by her side protectively, weapons out and all. Phinx was able to jump out of the way in time when the butler was lunging towards him.

"Kurapika-sama." Sato acknowledged and sighed in relief. He was holding two nen fireballs on both his hands, ready to throw it to the Spiders who were clearly taken aback by the attack.

Kuroro was not able to change at all for when he was about to open the door to the room, the explosion occurred. The man looked at the premises and smiled to himself. He counted the number of intruders and was delighted to find seven powerful nen users.

Kurapika on the other hand was being healed by Jo and Seiya who were both from specialization group. The twins had cut the nen strings that bound their master's wrists and then glared daggers at Machi.

"Well, I guess the real party begins." Kuroro announced a bit sarcastically as he clapped his hand lightly. "That was a good show, Elite Seven."

"You creep!" Both Eri and Yuri shouted.

"Hmmm..." The Spider head brought his right hand to his mouth. "You are outnumbered, give up and we may even spare your master."

"Shut up and just fight!" It was the Kuruta. "The Elite Seven only follows me and no one else!" she bellowed at him angrily. Then, she looked around to see the faces of her loyal bodyguards in their defensive stance. "Get them all."

Seven figures disappeared only to reappear beside the spiders they'll take on. Sato battled against Feitan and Nobunaga, Kenji against Shalnark and Boronerof, Aki to Machi, Seiya to Shizuku and Coltopi, the twins versus Phinx and Franklin. Jo stayed by Kurapika's side to continue healing the strong paralysis that infected her body.

The fights were not that destructive because they know it will attract too much attention from the outside. The Elite Seven versus the Phantom Troupe was almost even. No one had any intention of giving up. When Jo was finished healing her master, Kurapika stood up and materialized her nen chains again. She looked at the direction where the Spider head is standing and just watching the battles. The man must have notice her staring at him for he suddenly turned his head to meet her gaze. Gritting her teeth, Kurapika summoned the chain jail and threw it at him. The man easily dodged the attack and he also saw Jo coming right at him to deliver a kick.

Kurapika furiously continued throwing her chains at him and her enemy jumped out of the way flawlessly, landing on the ground effortlessly. The blonde panted and she drew back her chain jail. It's her scarlet eyes again. She's so damn tired and no matter how much she throws her chains at him, as long as anger governs her actions, she won't be able to defeat Kuroro Lucifer.

"Kurapika-sama, let's get you out of here." Jo spoke out in worry as he tried to support his master. "Sato-san!" he called out. "Let's get out of here! We have what we came for!"

Without wasting any second, the Elite Seven had stopped fighting and hurriedly gathered around Jo who was creating a bluish nen barrier. They all went inside the said barrier and in a flash they all disappeared without a trace.

Kuroro stared in mild shock when he witnessed the strange phenomenon. The same look of shock was gracing the Spiders' faces.

"Looks like one of them knows how to use teleportation." Kuroro concluded.

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"How is she, doctor?" Kairo Bethel worriedly asked as he watched Kurapika's fragile sleeping from on a bed nearby.

"She will be fine with enough rest. Let her stay in bed for two days and give her mostly vegetables and fruits so that she can recover fast." The doctor babbled. "Let her intake vitamin A for her eyes too."

"Thank you, doc."

The doctor bowed, gathered his medical stuffs and left the room with Kairo following him out. Outside Kurapika's room, the Elite Seven were waiting patiently to hear any news about their master. They all stood up in unison when the two men emerged from the room. When the doctor was finally out of sight and earshot, Kairo looked at the Elite Seven and dangerously frowned at them.

"Sato." The man called in a steely and clearly angry voice.

The head butler slowly walked towards Mr. Bethel with head bowed down. He stopeed in front of him, avoiding his angry eyes. Suddenly, a sharp sting ran across Sato's cheek. The next thing he knew, Mr. Bethel's right was already airborne and his face was fuming.

"That slap is not enough!" Kairo Bethel shouted at him with pure despise. "I trusted you to take care of my niece! The Seven of you! And you brought her back in here in this condition? How dare you?"

The Elite Seven remained silent but Mr. Bethel continued. "What did I tell you when it comes to her desire for revenge, huh?" he asked but no one answered. "Answer me, Sato! What did I tell you?"

Sato gulped hard and he felt his throat parched dry. "Never let her... chase after the Genei Ryodan."

"Exactly! But did you follow my orders? No! You allowed her to act rashly! What are you going to do if I lose Kurapika?" the man turned towards the remaining members. It seems unfair for only Sato to receive all the yelling. "You six! You've made mistakes in the past and I forgave all of you but this one is different! And goodness! You are all very powerful, trained since you were children! Now where are the scarlet eyes that were stolen by those cutthroats?"

They all stiffened. They had forgotten about retrieving the scarlet eyes in their rushed desire to get their master out of the Genei Ryodan's clutches. Kurapika won't be so pleased about it.

"I guessed right in my mind, then." Kairo's eyes were now flame- coloured, an indication that he was truly pissed off by their actions. He turned to Sato again. "I trusted you my life years ago and now I've entrusted Kurapika in your hands. This is how you're goig to protect her? Screw this!"

"Forgive us, Bethel-sama." Sato was already down on his knees, head bent low in disgrace.

"Sato, you of all people understand that Kurapika's weakness does not only lie on the conditions imposed by the nen blade in her heart." At least, when Mr. Bethel was talking at this point, he was now slightly calm.

"Yes, Bethel-sama."

The man sighed and he crossed his arms. "You seven know that if Kurapika kills a Genei Ryodan member, she will die too!"

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Voices. She can hear voices outside the room. The bed felt soft and Kurapika knew that she's back in her own room. The voices outside grew louder and then soft at the next moment. She can only catch a few words from the furious conversation but the blonde was able to connect those words and make out what was being said.

"Kurapika...weakness... conditions... nen-blade."

Kurapika's eyes snapped completely awake and she groaned a little when light mildly glared at her. Her eyes roamed around the room before she sat up on her bed. Dizziness clouded her mind and very slowly, she got out and walked towards the double doors while slightly stumbling for she is yet to regain her sense of balance. The last thing she remembered before fainting is that she returned to their seaside mansion.

"You seven know that if Kurapika kills a Genei Ryodan member, she will die too!"

Her eyes widened when she heard when she heard that statement being uttered by no other than her uncle. What does he mean by that? That's just wrong. She can't die when she kills a Genei Ryodan. How can she? To clarify the unspoken questions in her head, she roughly pushed the double doors open and saw the flabbergasted faces of her uncle and bodyguards.

"What does that mean, uncle?" She tried to ask calmly but the tremble of her voice was there.

"Kurapika, why are you up? You should be in bed." Kairo exclaimed and tried to support her niece but the girl backed away a little to avoid the contact.

"Tell me, uncle. Where did you get that idea? I will die if I kill any member of the Spiders?" She asked furiously, doubting the words she heard earlier.

Kairo Bethel's brows furrowed a bit in concern. "You're not okay yet. Go back to your bed."

"No." Kurapika refused firmly and stood her ground.

"Kurapika." The menacing tone was evident in her uncle's voice but she did not waver a bit. Finally, with a defeated sigh, Kairo consented. "Fine. I'll tell you everything but go back and lie on your bed first."

The Kuruta calmly obeyed and lied down on the bed to continue her rest. Kairo pulled a chair and sat down on the side close to his niece. The Elite Seven was already dismissed by him before he entered Kurapika's room.

"Well?" Kurapika asked rather impatiently.

Kairo nodded once. "Remember when you Aunt Zali died?" the man asked and Kurapika nodded. How can she forget the wonderful aunt she ever had in her life? "She's also a nen user and she belongs to the specialization type." He paused but continued after a while. "Her ability is unique. She can manipulate the nen of others by touching them and letting her own nen flow inside the person to let it combine in that person's nen."

Kurapika then remembered the time when she saw a faint white nen flowing from her aunt's hand to her chest. "Then..."

"Yes, before she died, she manipulated your nen." Kairo explained to her.

"What kind of manipulation exactly?"

"Zali doesn't want you to walk the path of revenge. So she decided to add two conditions to the nen-blade in your heart." Her uncle answered truthfully, pointing at her chest. "'If you kill any member of the Phantom Troupe, you will die.'"

Kurapika's eyes widened and she nearly got up if not for Mr. Bethel who pinned her back to the bed. If she can't kill the Spiders anymore, then what's the use of her chains that were created especially for her revenge against the Spiders?

"How... how can Aunt Zali do this to me? And why didn't you tell me?" This time, she managed to sat up to properly look at her uncle.

"She loves you, Kurapika." Her uncle tried to explain but the Kuruta shook her head furiously in disagreement with a torn expression etched on her delicate face. "

"No! If she loves me then she wouldn't have done this! I hate this!"

Kairo frowned and crossed his arms. "This is exactly why I didn't tell you in the first place. Who would have thought that you'll meet the Spiders last night?"

Kurapika looked up in response, with her blazing scarlet eyes almost teary. "You... said two conditions. What's the other condition?" she asked

"It's about your scarlet eyes." Kairo explained again. "Zali's nen is restraining yourself from using your eyes. As long as the emotion that caused your eyes to turn to scarlet is anger or anything related to it, they will weaken your stamina and strength and you'll eventually pass out. That's why I've been warning you to never use your eyes excessively."

"First my ability... now my eyes?"

"Kurapika..." Mr. Bethel called out and took his niece's hand. He gently stroke them to ease herself. "Understand your aunt. She loves you more than anything. You were practically her daughter now; _our_ daughter."

Kurapika bowed her head again and went back to lying down. She looked at her uncle. "Is there a way to remove the new condition and Aunt Zali's nen inside me?" She asked faintly and to her delight, Kairo nodded.

"Yes. But not just any nen-remover. Your aunt also imposed a condition in removing her nen inside you."

"What condition is that?"

"If you manage to get rid the fuel to your revenge, the nen will leave your body and the new conditions will be lifted."

Kurapika's eyebrows furrowed. "The fuel to my revenge?"

"What is emotion caused you to disguise yourself as a boy, take the Hunter examinations, work as a male bodyguard for the Nostrads, and chase after the Genei Ryodan?"

The Kuruta was silent for a while before she finally answered, "Hatred."

Kairo smiled and nodded. "That's right. You have to get rid of your hatred if you want to be free from your aunt's bind."

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Kuroro Lucifer was standing in a rooftop of a certain building in the middle of the busy streets of Norsalle city. The news about the massacre at the Norsalle auctions must have already been broadcasted all over the world but he didn't give a damn. He was holding a fragile box that contains one of the world's seven most beautiful relic; a pair of scarlet eyes.

The day he massacred the entire Kuruta clan along with his spiders, he was certain that no scarlet eyes would please him until he met the last living Kuruta whose flame- coloured eyes burned brighter than any of the 36 pairs he acquired and sold at the black market.

Shalnark approached his danchou. "Danchou, what should we do with those eyes? Are we going to seel them?"

Kuroro shook his head. "No. We will wait for the Kuruta to come to us to retrieve these." He replied while not tearing his eyes away from the view of the sleepless city lights. "Then, you know what happens next."

"Danchou, we're talking about the Bethel family here." Shalnark stated a bit nervous. "They have connections, the powerful mafias are afraid of them. Even the dead 10 Godfathers respected that family. And I can tell that from the way the Elite Seven fought, they did not give out their all. It is not wise to go against Bethel."

"I know." Kuroro replied nonchalantly that it surprised Shalnark. "That will make the game even more interesting than it already is."

Shalnark smiled and nodded. "By the way Danchou, Nobunaga is throwing a fit again for not being able to kill the chain assassin."

Kuroro sighed and shoved the box into Shalnark's arms. "Take care of it." He said and the suddenly jumped down the building only to teleport to the ground using his stolen teleportation skill.

The Spider Head aimlessly around walked the streets of Norsalle city and his feet brought him to the road leading towards Morei City. It is the city where the Bethel family's private island and estate can be found. Before he knew it, his feet already started walking towards the said city.

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**Author's Note:** _I hope you'll like this chapter. I hope I explained Kurapika's other hidden weaknesses well. I'm sorry if I'm such a crappy author! Please READ AND REVIEW! I need REVIEWS! Wahahahaha! _

**Next: **_Another twist happened and looks like Kurapika will definitely never accept it! Some of Kuroro's past will be revealed in the next chapter! _


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Hunter x Hunter! I love Kurapika and Kuroro!_

**Warning:**_I turned Kurapika into a girl here because I don't want my parents catching me writing yaoi. Sorry! Don't Kill ME! And expect wrong spelling and grammars since I did not properly edit this! Thanks!_

**Summary:** _Eight months after Kurapika's encounter with the GeneiRyodan, she found her long lost uncle and finally focused in finding her clan's eyes. What she didn't know is that Kuroro Lucifer already found someone who could lift the nen curse. RnR!_

**Yuthero**** : **_Hiya, buddy! I read your review and it seems like you're a bit confused about the plot. Well, you see, Kurapika's Aunt Zali died two months ago (it will be explained here in this chapter). But before her aunt died, Kurapika can still use her scarlet eyes without easily straining herself and she can still kill Spiders. But when her Aunt Zali manipulated her nen before she died, she imposed two new conditions on her. That's how her actions were restricted. I hope that helps!_

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Chapter 4: Engagement

Kairo Bethel is a crazy man but not literally crazy. He just makes up ideas in his mind that everyone would consider outrageous and foolish. The people who know him well wouldn't be so surprised when he tells them all his thoughts about certain things. In his age, he loved playing safe pranks which Kurapika classified as childish and reckless.

However, despite all that, people hold a certain degree and respect for that man. He is after all the founder of Bethel Corporations and the world's richest and most influential man of all. He is not the type to meddle with whatever affairs the mafia has unless it concerns his assets and his family. Not only that, Kairo Bethel is also very helpful and he showed it many years ago when he adopted the members of the Elite Seven when they were still little. Like the Genei Ryodan, the Elite Seven came from Ryuusegai. Kairo visited that trash-infested place when he found out that the mafia dons are using the people there to do their dirty deeds. If there's anything he hates, it is manipulating people into becoming mindless puppets. He experienced that himself when he was still staying in his homeland in Rukuso village.

And that's how he met the Elite Seven. After he had helped the Council of Ryuusegai in their problems with the mafia, Kairo found and took in Seiya, Aki, and Sato first. He trained them to become strong and intelligent. Two years later, he returned to Ryuusegai to adopt Kenji, Eri, Yuri, and Jo and just like the first three children, they were also trained and educated. But it is not only the Elite Seven he met but also the six original members of the Genei Ryodan who were still very young at that time. They were also there to help their city in going against the mafia. It was a brief meeting and Kairo had forgotten about them.

Right now, Kairo Bethel is weighing things in his mind, carefully making the best decision. His niece seemed so determined to get rid of his wife's nen from her body but how can she do that without also getting rid of her hatred towards the Spiders?

He suddenly heard someone knock. "Come in."

Sato's figure emerged and stepped inside the room. Then, Aki followed him and the two walked towards the desk where Kairo is currently sitting.

"Bethel-sama, you called for us?" Sato asked and Bethel nodded while gesturing them to sit down.

"Yes, I did." The man replied and stood up. "Tell me Sato, if you hate someone and you want that hatred to disappear, what will you do?"

Sato furrowed his eyebrows a bit before answering. "I will try to learn to hate that person less."

"You mean, love that person, yes?"

Sato nodded and Kairo turned towards Aki. "How about you, dear?"

"I agree with Sato, Bethel-sama." Aki replied while nodding. "Love is after all hatred's opposite."

The man smiled upon hearing those words from his subordinates. "I have been planning on something and I'd like your cooperation with it." Both Aki and Sato nodded upon hearing the seriousness that is evident in their master's voice. "I'm going back to Ryuusegai and the two of you will accompany me."

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It was a sunny day, perfect for outings in the mountains or a walk around the beach but Kuroro did no such thing. He's currently in Morei City, standing on a beach and looking at a distant island with a huge mansion built on it. It's the Bethel family's seaside mansion. A small private dock was nearby which the Bethel family uses in going back and forth.

Kuroro walked towards the dock and found a man currently tying a boat into place.

"Good morning, sir." The Spider Head greeted casually and the man turned around. His brows furrowed when he saw Kuroro's messy form caused by the battle last night.

"Whut do ya want?" the man replied grumpily as he stomped away from the boat and bent down to carry a heavy-looking box nearby.

"I need a boat, sir." Kuroro replied and followed the man. "That looks heavy. Let me help you."

"I can manage, son." He replied. "So ya need a boat? Whut for?"

"I want to go there." Then, he pointed towards the island.

The man shook his head. "That wun't do, son. That's Bethel Island. Unless you have invitation from the owner, I won't let you go there." He grunted and put the box down on the ground.

Kuroro frowned a bit. "Is that so?"

"Yes. Now go away if you need nothing else." The man turned around to attend to his problems with the box.

This time, Kuroro smiled. He took out his Benz knife from inside his coat and, with great stealth, quickly ended the man's life with one swing on his neck. After he made the attack, he sighed and walked towards the boats. But before he could even ride on one, a familiar nen fireball hurled down at him again. Kuroro's reflexes were quick enough to react and he jumped out of the way, landing on the ground far enough not to be reached by the aftermath of the explosion.

His mind rapidly registered that the fireball came from no other than that brown-haired butler from last night. Suddenly, the person he expected appeared in front of him with a girl beside him.

"Hmmm... You're Sato, right?" Kuroro asked and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"And you're Kuroro Lucifer." Sato replied. "Where are your companions?"

"Am I not enough? You're hurting my feelings." The Spider head mocked. He chuckled inwardly at himself for even using the word 'feelings' when in fact he doesn't have any.

"Shut your trap!" Aki shouted while she clenched her fists angrily that her knuckles turned white.

Before Kuroro could make another annoying retort, Mr. Bethel appeared behind Sato and Aki, crossing his arms. "Enough, Sato, Aki." He ordered and the two bowed the heads to show that they're complying. Kuroro could only raise his eyebrows in slight bewilderment. The man cast a brief glance at the body he murdered and then gestured his servants to dispose the body.

"The Great Kairo Bethel." He said in amusement. "I'm honoured."

The said Kairo Bethel smiled in response. "I was thinking of seeing you in Ryuusegai but since you're here, there's no need of it."

"For what purpose did you want to see me?" Kuroro asked in curiosity.

"To discuss a proposal with you."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

After recovering her nen a bit, Kurapika had used her Holy chain to heal all her injuries. Now, two weeks passed since her accursed meeting with the Spiders again. Her life practically returned to normal but she feels like something is amiss. These past two weeks, her Uncle Kairo is mostly out of the mansion with Sato and Aki. He's nowhere to be found and he does not go to his office so where does he set out to everyday?

Maybe he's looking for a solution regarding the new conditions in her nen-imbued judgement chain in her heart. Kurapika hated it, being a prisoner of her own ability, that is. Two months ago, her Aunt Zali mysteriously died of an unknown illness. She was by her side until the woman breathe her last breath. But before she left the world, her Aunt Zali managed to use her unique abilities to restrict her movements. The Kuruta chuckled. The ability she worked so hard to earn for the sole purpose of vengeance is now being used to eliminate the said purpose.

What her aunt did is still useless, though. She will never come to cease hating the Spiders. How could she when they're the reason why she went out of the safety of her village and face the harsh realities of the world?

Kurapika decided to go down the beach and inhale fresh air since she hasn't been able to get out of the mansion ever since that incident with the Spiders. She was wearing a summer dress; the only women's clothes that she liked to put on. As she walked bare foot on the seashore, the refreshing ocean water tickled her feet. She liked the beach so much since back when she was still living in Rukuso, there were only mountains surrounding the small community.

From afar, Kurapika spotted her uncle's yacht sailing back to the island. She smiled at herself and opted to go to the harbour to meet her him. A few minutes later, the yacht arrived and Kairo came down with Sato and Aki.

"Ah, Kurapika." Kairo smiled broadly at her niece.

"Welcome back, dad." Kurapika replied and looked at Sato and Aki who were standing behind the man. "Where did you three go to again?" She asked.

"Somewhere." Kairo replied which Kurapika received with a frown. "We'll be having a visitor tonight. Let's go to my study room. I have to discuss something with you."

The four of them walked back inside the mansion. Sato and Aki went to their respective posts although Kurapika can't help but notice that they sported the same worried looks in their faces. Then, they finally arrived at the study room. Kurapika sat down on one of the plush couches while her Uncle Kairo sat opposite her.

"What is it, dad? I bet it's important." The Kuruta asked.

"Very important, my dear." The man replied with all seriousness. "It's something very personal and I think you won't agree with this decision of mine easily."

"I'll decide whether I agree or not after I've heard what you're about to say." She replied calmly. "Now, what is it that I need to hear?"

Before answering, Kairo had asked her a few questions first. "How old are you now, Kurapika?"

"I'm 17." Kurapika replied and Kairo felt a hint of confusion when she answered.

"I guess that's old enough."

"Huh?"

This time, Kairo Bethel looked at his niece in the most scrutinizing way as if he's examining every inch of her. "Kurapika..." he started. "I'm getting you engaged."

Kurapika blinked. Did she just hear that right? "What? Come again?"

"You're getting engaged." Kairo kindly repeated for her.

"Engage? As in a matrimonial promise?"

When her uncle nodded, Kurapika felt like the world has ended for her. The bomb was suddenly dropped, leaving her unprepared for the impact. Stunned by the news, Kurapika couldn't bring herself to look at her uncle. She doesn't what she should feel. Anger? Nervousness? Happiness? She's confused.

"Our visitor tonight is the man you're getting engaged with."

Kurapika looked up at him. "This is insane! Why would you do such thing?"

"This is for your own good, Kurapika"

The blonde shook her head and stood up. "No! For my own good? Don't spat that nonsense, uncle!" Tears suddenly streamed down her cheeks and the girl seemed unaware of it. "First, Aunt Zali restrained me and now you?" with that, Kurapika made a mad dash out of the study room.

"Kurapika!" Kairo called out and tried to run after her but it was just too late.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Kurapika-sama. Please open the door." Sato had desperately tried to get his master out of her room but it was useless. "The visitor is coming, miss. I have to help you prepare."

It has been like this since seven in the morning and now it's six in the evening. Still, Kurapika just won't open the door to her room. Sato already sent Aki to fetch him the duplicate keys but what is taking her so long?

"Sato-san!" someone suddenly called out and Sato turned to his side and found Aki running towards him with the keys he ordered. "Here. Try these."

Sato nodded and inserted the keys to his master's room. When the double doors opened and the two of them stepped inside, they found no one. The bed is clean and neatly folded, no signs that Kurapika lied down on it. The things are all in order and the only thing strange is that the doors to the balcony were left slightly opened. For an ordinary person, he wouldn't be able to notice it but Sato and Aki are both extraordinary beings so they can easily notice small changes.

Sudden realization then took over the young man. He rushed towards Kurapika's wardrobe and quickly opened it. He noted that all the Kuruta's clothes are there but the hiking bag that she always uses when climbing the mountains is missing.

"Sato," Aki called out. "She escaped through the balcony."

"Again." Sato sighed and closed the wardrobe. "We have to find her."

"But where?"

"Anywhere. Bethel-sama must never find out about this." The butler warned. "We have to bring her back." He said with all seriousness and sauntered towards the doors leading to the balcony. He opened them and the chilly wind instantly assaulted his face.

But before Sato could even jump down with Aki, Eri and Yuri suddenly appeared in front of them, grinning like the mischievous Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland. Looks like the two were out on their usual evening routine again; stargazing on the roof.

"Where are you two going?" both twins chirped happily and looked up at Sato with their puppy eyes.

"We wanna come, Sato-chi!" Yuri hugged Sato's right arm while smiling childishly at him.

"No. You two stay here." Sato replied, removing Yuri's firm grip on his arm.

"Don't you want to know where Kurapika-sama headed to?" Eri asked with a creepy smile on his face.

Sato glared at Eri. "Tell me, Eri. I'm your superior and I have every right to all information you obtained."

"I'll tell you, Sato-chi." Eri said but raised his right palm. "If you'll let us come with you."

"Eri…" the young butler warned.

"Sato, just let them." It was Aki. "Now is not the time to squabble."

Sato sighed in defeat. True, their first priority right now is to find their Kurapika-sama. "Fine. You two lead the way."

"Aye!" the twins giggled and immediately jumped down the balcony followed by Sato and Aki.

The four ran towards the harbour and Sato berated himself for forgetting to tell Jo to come in them in order to make the search easier. Jo can use teleportation and healing so he's a valued member of the Elite Seven.

"We saw Kurapika-sama taking a boat towards Kirin Island." Yuri said as they boarded an empty boat and started its engine.

Upon hearing the words 'Kirin Island', Sato and Aki's eyes widened slightly. Kirin Island is an island 3 kilometres away from Bethel Island. It was given to Kurapika by Mr. Bethel on her seventeenth birthday last April 4. Kurapika uses that island when she wants to be alone or when she's pondering about a decision. But there's more to that island than meets the eyes. A huge mansion was actually built inside that island and is protected by a powerful Kurutan barrier that keeps out any non-Kurutan from entering. That mansion is where Kurapika keeps all the scarlet eyes she has collected. Mr. Bethel and Kurapika worked together to create that barrier and not even one nor the Elite Seven's combined powers can penetrate the shield.

It seems like only Mr. Bethel can get the blonde Kuruta back.

The boat's engine slowly died down as they approached the shores of Kirin Island. The four of them stepped down on the beach and walked towards the direction of a forest road leading to the mansion on top of the hill.

Sato stopped on his tracks. "We can't go further. The barrier starts here."

Aki nodded. "What should we do then? If Kurapika-sama does not come then Bethel-sama will be furious again."

"Bethel-sama understands her. It must have been a shock."

"Our Kurapika-sama is getting married, right?" Yuri said and turned to her twin brother. "Let's go get her, Eri."

An idea suddenly came into Sato's mind. "Eri, Yuri!" the twins turned towards him. "Change into Jo and use teleporting."

The twins pouted. "No!" they both shouted and looked away, annoyed. "We will not use that ability anymore."

Aki took this opportunity. "Please, Eri, Yuri. Just this once and we'll never ask you ever again."

"That's what you said last time." The twins said and pouted cutely but their venomous killing aura is starting to leak out of their bodies.

"Ummm…" Sato hesitated at first. When the twins get agitated, it is best to stay near them and try to keep them calm. "Come one, this will be the last one."

"Shut up, Sato." Yuri hissed audibly.

Before Sato could even say a word, Eri had already drawn out his twin swords, unsheathed them as quickly as he can and pointed both swords at the butler's neck. The boy's eyes which were green a while ago now looked clouded. It is the side effect of them being emotionally unstable. When Eri and Yuri are provoked, they no longer determine who the friends and the foes are.

Eri glared at Sato and Yuri was behind him, staring at him blankly.

"Eri! Draw your swords back this instant!" a familiar voice suddenly ordered and the four looked at the entrance of the forest road. They all saw their Kurapika-sama looking at them with what they can comprehend as a very disappointed expression. It was solely directed to Eri.

"Kurapika-sama!" Eri shouted, dropped his swords to the ground and ran towards Kurapika. He hugged her tightly and the Kuruta bent down to his eye level. "Sato is bullying me!"

Kurapika looked up at Sato and the latter stirred. "It wasn't me." He whispered to her.

Aki on the other hand just watched on the side lines, crossing her arms. The girl looked at the remaining twin who was still staring blankly at Sato. "You can stop that now, Yuri."

Yuri's eyes widened then life returned back to her green eyes. "That was effective, don't you think?"

"I believe it was reckless and irresponsible but thanks to that act, you managed to get Kurapika-sama out of the mansion herself." Aki swore she will applaud the female twin for her feat.

"It's time to go back, Kurapika-sama." Aki heard Sato say. She turned to look at Kurapika who silently nodded.

They now boarded the boat that Kurapika brought with her and sailed back to Bethel Island.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

When the five of them arrived, they silently and casually walked inside the mansion. Kurapika went to her room to change into the baby blue dress that Mr. Bethel had especially chosen for her. When she was at Kirin Island, the thought of running away tempted her so much. Looks like puberty is starting to kick in and it's making her rebellious. Although she knew that her uncle is a 'crazy' person, he must have had his reason why he decided to get her engaged as early as now. And she must know that decision to make sure she won't regret it in the end.

She opted to go back to Bethel Island when she felt four familiar auras while reading a book inside the library of her private mansion. Two auras that she felt were kind of deadly which worried her a bit. As Kurapika had suspected, four members of the Elite Seven was down on the shore looking like they're fighting and ripping each other's heads off. When the quarrel had settled down, they sailed back.

"Young Miss, I am here to help you prepare." A maid called out from outside her room.

"Come in." Kurapika said and sat down in front of her table mirror.

The maid grabbed a brush, comb and some hair ornaments to put on the Kuruta's hair. As she brushed the blonde's hair, she opted to tell her something. "The visitor has arrived, miss and he's waiting at the dining hall with Master Bethel."

Kurapika's eye twitched a bit. "Is that so?" she almost sighed in defeat. "How does he look like?"

That question made the maid livelier. "Oh! He's very handsome, miss. A gentleman! You'll definitely like him."

The Kuruta smiled wryly. "Really?"

"I heard that he's the leader of his family's businesses. Though he looks so young, he's actually 26 years old."

Kurapika's eyes widened. She stood up and faced the maid. Fortunately, her hairdo is finished. "26 years old?" she asked in shock and the maid nodded. Then, Kurapika furiously stomped out of her room and went downstairs where the dining hall is.

"What is uncle thinking? Marry me off to a paedophile?" she angrily gritted her teeth and continued walking down the stairs, determined to strangle out some answers out of Kairo Bethel.

When she arrived at the dining hall, Kurapika found several people already eating and drinking wine to their hearts' content. She recognized some of them since they were her uncle's close friends and business partners that he trusted. One man approached the stunned form of Kurapika and smiled broadly at her.

"Miss Kurapika!" the man bellowed cheerfully. "Look how lovely you are! Give this uncle of yours a big hug!"

"Mr. Avery." Kurapika said and hugged the said man. "What is this?" she asked, referring to the surprise party.

"Ah! Old Kairo wanted to announce your engagement to us so he planned this small engagement party especially for you and your future husband." Mr. Avery explained and sipped the wine on his hand.

The words 'future husband' left a bad feeling inside her chest. "He didn't tell me." Kurapika stated. "Where is he now?"

Mr. Avery pointed at a certain direction and Kurapika followed his hand with her eyes. She saw her uncle talking to a certain man with raven hair in a dark blue suite. The Kuruta opted to approach the two and when she was a mere feet away, her Uncle Kairo saw her coming and smiled at her.

"My dear!"Kairo called out happily and left the young man he was talking to and approached her. "Come on, I'll introduce you to him."

At first, Kurapika was very hesitant to even take another step. She realized that the man she was about to get engaged with was the same man he was chatting with a while ago. Kairo lead his niece towards the raven-haired man and Kurapika felt a sudden surge of familiarity inside her chest.

When the mysterious man turned slowly turned around, Kurapika felt her whole body stiffen. The smile on the man's lips looked so deceiving but innocent at the same time. But it was not merely a smile. It was a smirk that Kurapika would want to badly scratch off his face.

And he was no other than Kuroro Lucifer.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

**Author's Note: **_Waaaahhhh! I'm sorry if I'm such a crappy author! Kurapika getting engaged with Kuroro was actually a dream of mine many nights ago. I decided to write it! Sorry if you don't like it! BTW! I'm sorry if I didn't include Kuroro's past in here. _

**Next: **_Kurapika is getting engaged with Kuroro? What did Kairo Bethel actually propose to him? _


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Hunter x Hunter! I love Kurapika and Kuroro! _

**Warning**_**:**__ I turned Kurapika into a girl here because I don't want my parents catching me writing yaoi. Sorry! Don't Kill ME! And expect wrong spelling and grammars since I did not properly edit this! Thanks!_

**Summary:** _Eight months after Kurapika's encounter with the Genei Ryodan, she found her long lost uncle and finally focused in finding her clan's eyes. What she didn't know is that Kuroro Lucifer already found someone who could lift the nen curse. RnR!_

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Chapter 5: Ring

The small party continued nonetheless. The visitors chatted with each other gleefully with a glass of wine held on their hands. Couples danced merrily on the music's beat. The atmosphere of the humongous dining hall was merry but what the people didn't know is that a certain blonde Kuruta is having the nightmare of her life.

"I believe you two already know each other." Kairo Bethel assumed as he looked back and forth at Kuroro and Kurapika. The latter was still shocked speechless at the sudden revelation that she was about to get engaged with her mortal enemy.

"Yes, we know each other very well, don't we, Kurapika?" Kuroro smiled at her like it was the most mundane thing in the world.

The Kuruta must have been pulled out of her shock upon hearing her name. "What is the meaning of this?" It was clear that she was suppressing her anger in a futile attempt not to make a commotion that will disturb the other visitors in the hall. Her ocean blue eyes are starting to get a tint of red. If only they are completely alone, she'd already ripped his head off.

On the other hand, she'd die along with him so it is doubtful if Kairo Bethel would let her do what she wanted.

"Not here, my dear." She heard her uncle whisper carefully. Audible enough for only the three of them to hear.

Kurapika instantly turned away and decided to stomp back to her room to devise a way on how to deal with this situation. Her uncle has a lot of explaining to her. But before she could even reach the foot of the stairs, two middle-aged women blocked her way, smiling broadly at her.

"Congratulations on your engagement, my dear." The taller woman said and took Kurapika's hand and shook it gently. "You've got such a fine man."

The other woman sighed dramatically. "If only I'm a few years younger."

"Please." Kurapika said which was barely audible. "Let me through." With that, the Kuruta continued her pace towards the stairs and then to her room.

As her figure retreated, Kuroro watch the back of his _fiancé_ and pondered upon the conditions that Kairo Bethel had offered for him. He chuckled at himself of why he agreed to his proposal when he absolutely had nothing to do with whatever family problems they have.

Nevertheless, Kuroro found himself nodding his head in approval two weeks ago.

_Two weeks ago..._

They are sitting in an exclusive and luxurious restaurant owned by no other than Kairo Bethel himself. Kuroro had agreed to accompany the man to discuss a certain proposal which actually interested him. It concerns about the blonde Kuruta.

Mr. Bethel started by explaining to him the whole situation. He explained about Zali Bethel's unique ability (which he wanted to steal but unfortunately she is dead), the new conditions on Kurapika's nen blade pointed at her heart, and the only way to removed it.

"Let's get this straight." Kuroro stated after taking a sip from his tea. "You want me to help you remove the nen from her body?" he asked at looked directly at Mr. Bethel with his empty onyx eyes.

Kairo Bethel nodded. "I believe that you're the only one who can do it. Since you're the root of all her hatred, I want you to erase that from her. Like my wife, I feel that the strong hatred she has for you and your gang is not good for her well-being."

"I'm surprised." The Spider Head said and clasped both his hands while his elbows rested on the arm rests of the chair. "You don't seem to hate me that much. I've killed your brother, your mother and your whole family."

The man smiled. "If there's one thing I've learned from my wife, that would be to forgive and forget." He replied. "Although I can't do the 'forget' part, I was able to forgive you for what you did 5 years ago."

Kuroro nodded in understanding and inside him, his respect for the man was raised a level higher.

"So, If ever I agree to that proposal, what will I and the Spiders get?"

With that question, Mr. Bathel called out Aki and the latter handed him a white folder. The said folder was given to Kuroro which the young man accepted. He opened it and read its contents. His eyes widened a little when he read the paper.

"If you can erase the hatred she has for you, then I will support Ryuusegai in terms of financial and social. Not only that, I will also use my influence for you to gain access in any information you need." Kairo Bethel paused a bit but continued. "Also, I will give you my collection of rare books and swords."

Kuroro smiled. "Your books?" he asked.

In response, the old man chuckled. "You easily get persuaded by books, don't you?"

"I'm not ashamed to say that they're practically my weakness."

"Even Kurapika hasn't even read a single book from my private library. But I'm willing to give it to you if you'll cooperate." Mr. Bethel said.

After he had said those words, Kuroro brought a hand to his mouth and looked down the ground in a pondering manner. When he looked up back to Kairo Bethel, it was clear that he hasn't decided yet.

"If I ever really agree, how will I do it?" he asked.

"You're a brilliant young man, Kuroro Lucifer. I'm sure you can find a way." Mr. Bethel replied and sipped his own tea.

"That's pretty difficult considering our situation." Kuroro stated. "You have to force me to her." Kairo had this puzzled expression in his face and the Spider Head continued. "Just suddenly making friends with her won't do. It has to be something forceful that she won't have any other choice but to let me in. Then, I'll do my job from there."

For the nth time, Kairo Bethel chuckled. "That's a well-thought out plan, Kuroro." Then he looked at him with a hint of seriousness. "What do you think if I get you engage with her?"

At first, Kuroro had been speechless and just looked at the man quietly. But then, he broke into a broad smile. "That's kinda... forceful." He described and nodded.

"So, I need your clear answer. Yes or No?"

"Two weeks." Kuroro said. "Give me two weeks and I'll give you my answer."

With that, they ended their conversation and walked their separate ways.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kurapika sat on the same place at Kairo Bethel's study room while a certain raven-haired man stood beside the glass windows which overlooked the vast blue ocean outside. There was a certain degree of gloomy and deadly aura surrounding the blonde Kuruta that she tried to restrain but failed in doing so. Her fists were clenched so hard that her knuckles turned white and her eyes are bordering from being blue to blazing scarlet.

On a desk at the center of the room, Kairo Bethel was seated, looking back and forth the two figures. He then finally decided to break the deafening silence.

"We have to decide how we'll publicly announce this so the two of you should come into terms on when." He firmly said. Since Bethel family is well-known throughout the world, all eyes and ears would be solely directed at them, especially on Kurapika who is the heiress. There is a need to announce to the public about their engagement in order to prevent the media from questioning them.

Kuroro turned his head sideways and looked at Kurapika (who was refusing to even spare a glance at him) and then to Mr. Bethel. "As early as now. Maybe next week."

This time, Kurapika stood up. "That is not for you to decide, bastard." She almost shouted and then also turned at her uncle. "And did I agree to this... thing?" she declined from using the word 'engagement'. It was more like a fixed marriage than an engagement.

"Kurapika, calm down. Hear what I have to say." That was effective enough for the fuming blonde girl sat back down and crossed her arms. With that act of submitting, Mr. Bethel continued. "Mr. Lucifer here and I signed an agreement with three conditions."

Kurapika remained silent although she was still bristling in anger. Her eyes finally turned red and Mr. Bethel didn't like that.

"One, although his gang will not stop their operations, they will at least refrain from killing anyone." The Kuruta visibly tensed up but still, she remained silent. "Two, he will help us in our business and will provide you with protection."

"Protection?" Kurapika repeated grimly. "The Elite Seven is enough. I don't need another one."

"Three," Mr. Bethel continued and ignored his niece's complaint. "He will help you gather the remaining scarlet eyes."

As expected, Kurapika's eyes widened in mild shock as she looked at her uncle then to the man she hated the most. Kuroro returned the look evenly and the Kuruta turned away again.

"I'm the one who sold the eyes in the black market. I know more than you do where you could find them." The Spider head stated and walked towards a plush couch to sit opposite his fiancé.

"I can collect them all myself." The girl retorted.

Kuroro gave out a sarcastic scoff. "As far as I know, you managed to collect only five pairs of eyes and they're all from the auctions." He informed her. "Do you really expect that you can find all eyes by just attending auctions?"

"I know what I'm doing and stop talking to me."

"All I'm saying is that most owners of the scarlet eyes right now are mafia bosses who would never give up those relics no matter how much you try to bribe them."

"Mafia dons are suckers for money. It's practically their god."

With that, Kurapika stood up and walked out of the room.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kuroro fingered the silver ruby ring carefully in his hand, careful not to scratch it. It was given to him by Kairo Bethel. It's supposed to be Kurapika's engagement ring which he should give himself. But how? The Spider head scrutinized the ring even more and found out that the inside the ring, there are four letters engraved on it: **K.L•K.K**- Kuroro Lucifer and Kurapika Kuruta.

He chuckled at Mr. Bethel's crazy idea and was pretty sure that the blonde will never wear the ring. She might accept it but never wear it.

"Well, I suppose I should give it to her now." Kuroro silently thought out loud and rose up from his seat. He's still in Bethel Island and he's gonna be there until he decides that it's too boring.

As far as he's concerned, the place had never bored him once. Maybe it's because of the fact that every time his path crosses with that of the Kuruta's, he gets amused and too much fun on seeing her reaction.

He continued walking on the hallway leading to the stairs to the second floor where the blonde's room is located. This will be his first time in getting a good look at Kurapika's room. The man knocked three times on the door but no one answered. He tried again and again but it seems like no one's inside.

Without wasting any more time, Kuroro slowly and gently opened the doors and poked his head inside. The room was like any ordinary room. There's a coffee table with couches, the curtains are bright and lively, the wardrobe is antique, the book shelves are full of hard to find books, and in the bed lies the sleeping form of Kurapika Kuruta slash Bethel.

Kurapika was sleeping peacefully as if her whole world was not problematic as it is right now. Her bangs slightly covered her delicate face and Kuroro had this insane urge to walk towards her and tuck those bangs behind her ear. Crazy as it might sound, that's what he did.

He gently sat on the edge of the bed, near the Kuruta. The girl stirred a little but her slumber remained undisturbed. Kuroro extended his hand and brushed aside the blonde strands that were covering her face, tucking them at the back of her ear. He seemed surprised at himself for he did it all out of impulse. Or maybe he did not.

As he bent lower, he can smell her distinguishing scent. If somebody is watching them right now, they'd assume that they're real lovers who actually care for each other's well-being. But they're not.

He ran his finger on her jaw line, tracing them smoothly. She looks so fragile and innocent. No one would ever think that she has killed two people before.

Suddenly, without any warning whatsoever, Kurapika's eyes snapped open and met with obsidian ones. For a while they stared at each other but then, sudden realization dawned at the girl. Kuroro's hand was still resting on her cheek and she visibly blushed.

Before anything was said, the blonde Kuruta had raised her hand and tried to drive a sharp slap into Kuroro's cheek. But the man was quick enough and so he caught her flying wrist and pinned her down back on the bed. His larger form was looming over the girl's smaller one.

"You bastard! What are you trying to do?" She angrily asked, scarlet eyes burning. However, the blush was still evident on her face and Kuroro smirked smugly when he noted that.

"What else? Just keeping my end of the bargain by protecting you." The Spider head replied.

"You were trying to sexually harass me!"

"No." He replied firmly. "I was just watching you. I'll teach you what sexual harassment really is."

Kurapika was wearing a shirt with buttons at that time and Kuroro started with that. He slowly unbuttoned her shirt from the bottom up to the last one. Fortunately for the Kuruta, she was wearing an undershirt.

"What are you doing! Get off me!" her scarlet eyes were visibly teary and scared.

Kuroro chuckled darkly but nonetheless jumped away from her. "We should be doing that more often since we're getting married anyway." He said as a-matter-of-factly.

"Get out of my room, bastard!" Kurapika shouted as she clutched her now unbuttoned shirt.

"Fine. I just came here to tell you to prepare yourself because tomorrow, we'll be going to a party to steal the scarlet eyes that will be displayed there."

At the mention of the last two words, Kurapika stiffened and looked at the man.

"W-hat?" she asked dumbly.

"I just told you and I won't repeat it." Kuroro spun on his heels and walked towards the doors. But he suddenly stopped on his tracks and shoved his hand inside his coat pocket. He took out the ruby ring he was playing with a while ago and tossed it at Kurapika.

The ring landed on the bed right in front of the sitting Kuruta. "You better wear that in the party so that if the other men will see your hand, they'll back away."

"What is this?" Kurapika asked although she already knew the answer.

"Our engagement, ring."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

In the car, silence and awkwardness conquered the atmosphere. Kuroro was sitting on the left side wearing black tuxedo while Kurapika sat on the right side of the car wearing a simple dress good for black tie events.

No one uttered a single word upon their arrival at the place. They were greeted by the host and was graciously ushered to one of the VIP seats. Kurapika and Kuroro sat side by side but still no one said a word. It worried Sato and Kenji a little. The two of them are the assigned body guards that night.

The Scarlet eyes were probably the ones resting on the table at the platform and are hidden by a red cloth.

Kuroro finally stopped staring at the violin performer on the stage and turned to look at Kurapika. The blonde had felt his close scrutiny and can't help but squirm a little.

"What are you looking at?" she asked without meeting his eyes.

"You look beautiful." He complimented which earned a sarcastic 'tsk' from the girl. The man decided to ignore it but what amused him more is the fact that Kurapika blushed a little when he had complimented her.

"Miss Kurapika!" A fat old man approached the table where the 'couple' was sitting. The man was no other than Mr. Avery. "Oh! And Kuroro Lucifer!"

Both Kuroro and Kurapika stood up. The Spider head gave the man a hand shake while Kurapika gave him a hug. The three sat down and chatted.

"Mr. Avery, it's nice seeing you here." The Kuruta managed to smile a bit.

"Ah! Yes, yes! I'm here to see the priced scarlet eyes. They say it's very beautiful. There's a relationship between its colour and its glitter. Someone had told me that and I don't know what it means." The old man laughed heartily.

Kuroro nodded at the man's words. "They are indeed beautiful, right _love_?" he looked at Kurapika and the girl was visibly shocked at the way he addressed her.

"Speaking of relationships, how are you two doing?"

"Going strong, sir." The young man put an arm around Kurapika's shoulders and pulled her closer to his body. Still shocked the girl hadn't noticed that they're in a very promising position right now. She was only pulled back into reality when she heard Mr. Avery laugh louder again.

"That's good! Good to hear!" he exclaimed. When Kurapika raised her left hand that was holding a glass of water to her mouth, his eyes caught the ruby ring. "Is that your engagement ring? Beautiful!"

Kuroro's eyes looked down and a smile graced his lips when he saw the ruby ring being worn on her ring finger.

"Well, then." Mr. Avery stood up. "I still a few people to greet. You two get married soon and make lots of babies."

"We sure will." He replied with a hint of mischievousness in it.

Kurapika choked on the last sentence and fell into a slight coughing fit. Fortunately, Mr. Avery didn't witness that for he already turned around hurriedly. Kuroro can't help but chuckle a bit at her reaction.

"Remove your arm or I'll decapitate it." Kurapika threatened and Kuroro obeyed without further remarks. He can see that the Kuruta was blushing furiously at what he just said.

"I didn't expect you'll wear it." Kuroro amusingly said, referring to the ruby ring.

"This is to turn away jerks. Jerks like you."

"Mmhh." Kuroro just hummed. "Isn't that your ex-boss?"

Kurapika turned towards the direction that he pointed at and saw Neon Nostard with some of her bodyguards talking to Mr. Avery. She must be here to also see the famous Kuruta eyes.

"The eyes will not be on sale. How're you going to get it?" the blonde dreaded to start a conversation with him but she was curious and her curiosity soared higher than her pride.

"My Spiders will steal it."

"What?"

"Just keep quiet and leave everything to me." Kuroro firmly ordered and Kurapika found herself following him.

A few hours later, the host finally stepped into the platform and after giving his thanksgiving message to the people who attended and acknowledging the ones who were socially higher (like the Bethel family), he finally took the red cloth off the object on the table and it revealed a pair of magnificent scarlet eyes that were burning as if it was still alive.

But before the host could say something on the microphone regarding the eyes, the power suddenly went out and color black took over the whole place. The next thing Kurapika knew is that a strong arm slipped underneath her knees and she was hoisted up from the ground.

"Hold on tight, Kurapika." The baritone voice whispered gently and she felt him jump up. "We're escaping."

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**Anthor's note**: _Wew! Sorry for the scenes that may not be appropriate. And thank you for the reviews everyone! I really appreciated it! You inspire me with your reviews!_

**Next:** _Kuroro's advances are so obvious and unexpected that Kurapika can't find a way out of it. Something happens to our dear Kuruta! Who will save her?_


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Hunter x Hunter! I love Kurapika and Kuroro!_

**Warning**_**:**__I turned Kurapika into a girl here because I don't want my parents catching me writing yaoi. Sorry! Don't Kill ME! And expect wrong spellings and grammars since I did not properly edit this! Thanks!_

**Summary:** _Eight months after Kurapika's encounter with the Genei Ryodan, she found her long lost uncle and finally focused in finding her clan's eyes. What she didn't know is that Kuroro Lucifer already found someone who could lift the nen curse. RnR!_

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Chapter 6: Paint

"Danchou!" Shlanark happily exclaimed when they saw their boss (with Kurapika) inside the woods where they were supposed to rendezvous with the members involved in the stealing of the eyes.

"Shalnark." Kuroro gave him a slight nod. "The eyes?"

"Safe and sound." The computer guy replied, holding up a brown box for them to see.

Kurapika eyed the box with a familiar feeling in her chest. It is the same feeling whenever she remembers her clan's massacre; a combination of anger, confusion, and, strangely enough, happiness. Kuroro took the box from Shalnark and turned to look at his fiancé. She was biting her lower lip and he was pretty sure that she wanted to get those eyes away from his hands as soon as possible.

He walked towards her and only stopped when he was a foot away. "Here." He then gave her the precious relic which she received with care. Kurapika can't help but let a very small smile grace her delicate face. Although small, Kuroro had seen that smile and was a bit take aback.

He didn't know the Kuruta could make such expression. Well, she can make those expressions but not when she's with him. All she gives him are scowls, glares and more negative looks.

Kurapika looked up to meet Kuroro's eyes. For the first time, her eyes looked perfectly normal; meaning there's no slight tint of red in them. "We'll have to go back now." She whispered and turned around towards the exit road of the forest.

Shalnark whistled. "Any progress, Danchou?"

Kuroro shook his head. "She's a difficult nut to crack." He muttered and followed the Kuruta. Shalnark smiled at himself and he too walked the opposite direction to meet with the other Spiders who're waiting for him.

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Two days after they have stolen the eyes from the thanksgiving party, Kuroro returned back to Ryuusegai which pleased the Kuruta immensely. She became even happier when the Spider head won't be returning for a week. One whole week of peace inside the Bethel mansion will finally be felt.

Kurapika is in the living room, talking with someone on the phone. "Yes. We'll be sending the money there. That's all. Thank you and take care of yourselves."

Kairo Bethel was sitting on a plush couch nearby, reading a book. "How was the orphanage?" he asked when Kurapika settled herself beside him.

"They were low on funds but I've taken care of that." The girl replied, grabbing a book resting on the coffee table and started flipping its pages.

"So, how are you and Kuroro?"

The blonde instantly stopped what she's doing. "Nothing new." She replied as calmly as possible. "Just the usual." And by 'usual', she meant bickering, arguing, and teasing.

"Are you two getting along well?" the man asked again.

"No." Kurapika replied honestly. "And I don't plan to."

"Kurapika..." her uncle regarded her with a worried look and the girl stood up.

"I don't want to talk about that." She stubbornly said. "I'm going to the orphanage to check on them myself." And with that, the Kuruta spun on her heels and walked towards her room.

The orphanage she's talking about is the Water Lily Orphanage located in a remote street in Morei City. Kurapika first found that place when she helped a child return back to the orphanage. She saw how lonely and unsupported the building and the people living inside it was and so she decided that she will support the said orphanage and the orphans with her own money. If the government can't provide what they needed, then she will.

When Kurapika arrived at the port, Sato had been waiting for her there.

"Kurapika-sama, let me accompany you." The head butler said and bowed a little in respect.

"It's just the orphanage, Sato. You don't have to." Kurapika replied and without further arguments, Sato nodded. Then, the blonde Kuruta rode her own yacht towards Morei City.

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"Shal, where are the eyes we stole back in Norsalle auctions?" Kuroro Lucifer asked when he arrived at their main base in Ryuusegai. The man was not in his danchou attire. He's just wearing a simple back long sleeve shirt and black pants. It's not usual to see him in those garments.

"Here they are, Danchou." Shalnark opened a drawer at the corner and took out another box that contains the scarlet eyes. He handed them over at his boss and Kuroro took it with great care.

"I won't be here for some time that's why I'm dispersing all of you." Kuroro announced at his Spiders. "But Shalnark, Feitan, Machi, Nobunaga, and Phinx will be coming with me back to Bethel Island."

The Spiders that were mentioned gave their Danchou puzzled looks but Kuroro ignored them. He will explain to them when everything is clear. "I want you five to come to the island one by one. Contact me when you have arrived."

The five Spiders nodded and Kuroro walked out of the abandoned building to return to Bethel Island. Though he said he'll be gone for a week, the truth is, he won't be. He just said that to tease the Kuruta and see her reaction when she finds out he lied. He will be amusing himself a lot.

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"Onee-chan! Pika-onee-chan!"

Kurapika looked at her right side and saw a raven-haired boy running towards her, smiling happily while holding between his hands a delicate-looking yellow flower. She smiled upon seeing the boy and caught him in her arms when he threw herself at her.

"What do you have there, Miko-chan?" the Kuruta asked and Miko tucked the flower behind her ears.

"It has your hair colour!" Miko exclaimed even happier which earned a chuckle from Kurapika.

Right now, she's in Morei City's children's public park. She brought along several kids from the orphanage so that they can enjoy themselves without any worry. Kurapika really loved playing with the kids because it reminded her of Gon and Killua who were as child-like as these children are.

"It's pretty." She complimented and the boy smiled broadly at her.

"I'll give some to Mr. Bethel too!" Miko chirped. "We'll make a flower crown for him!"

Kurapika pouted playfully. "How about me?" she asked.

"We'll make you a flower necklace!" with that, the Kuruta loosened her embrace from the boy and the latter ran towards a small flower field where his other playmates are. Kurapika smiled at the sight.

"Thank you for coming again, Miss Kurapika." A small woman said gratefully as she approached the girl.

"It's the least I can do. And please, Kurapika is fine, Miss Tanaka."

Miss. Tanaka smiled. "The children are always very lively whenever you're around."

"Really? That's good to hear."

The children played nonstop and Kurapika joined their games in every way she can. She would sometimes become the 'it' in a tag game and she would tickle those who fail to see the item in their 'I Spy' game. The games continued until it was almost sun down and it was time to head back home.

"Kids, let's go back home now." Miss Tanaka announced which earned some groans from the children. "Say good bye to Kurapika-onee-chan."

"Bye-bye, onne-chan!" the children chorused and Kurapika can't help but grin and their silly faces. They looked so adorable which made her think that she should definitely have a child when she grows up.

Suddenly, she shuddered involuntarily at the thought. She wants to have children but not with _**him**_.

"Miss Tanaka! I can't find Miko!" one of the children shouted and it woke Kurapika up from her thoughts.

True enough, the raven-haired boy was nowhere to be found. The other children started shouting and calling his name but there was no answer. Miss Tanaka already looked worried.

"I'll go find him. He must have been lost." Kurapika volunteered and materialized her chains. Seeing it for the first time, the children gave out amazed 'ooohhhh's and 'aaahhhh's. She summoned the dowsing chain and concentrated on the physical appearance of the boy. A few moments later, the chain started swinging to the left.

"Let me come with you, miss." Miss Tanaka suggested but Kurapika shook her head.

"You have to stay here with the children, Miss Tanaka. I'll go and find Miko." Then, she started walking towards the direction pointed by the dowsing chain. The pattern of the swinging was not consistent. Sometimes, it would swing left then right and left again.

It was already dark and she hasn't seen any traces of Miko which worried the Kuruta a lot. Finally, she found herself standing in front of a huge gate of an abandoned warehouse in a remote area in Morei City. Kurapika first hesitated. How did Miko end up in this place anyway? But her natural Kurutan instincts are telling her that she should get inside through the windows. And so, she looked for any opening and summoned her chain jail. She threw it upwards and it clipped itself on the window sills.

As silently as she can, Kurapika started climbing the wall until she reached the broken window's opening. She poked her head inside but the warehouse was a bit dark and has a poor lighting.

Suddenly, a shriek was heard and echoed inside. Without any second thoughts, Kurapika jumped down and dashed towards the direction of the scream. It sounded like it belonged to a child.

What Kurapika saw froze her. The abandoned building was full of book shelves. But it was not books that were put in there but eyes. Yes, eyes inside rectangular glasses full of formalin and alcohol to preserve them.

"Let me go! Mommy!" Miko struggled hopelessly while two unknown men pinned him to what she can see as a surgical bed while another man was holding up an injection. Tears were streaming down his cheeks.

"Shut him up!" the man with the injection barked at his comrades. Then, he slowly walked towards Miko but before he can even stab the injection into the boy's arm, Kurapika's dowsing chain came flying at him and hit the injection he's holding. Then, the Kuruta threw it again for the second time, this time aiming for the man.

What she did not expect is that the man is also a nen user. And of the materialization type! The man materialized a weird-looking nen sword and deflected the second attack.

"Let the boy go!" Kurapika shouted angrily. These guys are clearly human traffickers and such crimes must never be spared from punishment. It was also obvious that the main human body part they sell are eyes.

The man chuckled. "What a beautiful lady we have here!" he exclaimed. "How did you find us?"

"That's none of your business! Now, let go of the boy before I'll kill you all."

"I'm afraid it's our business, miss. You see, if you won't answer any of our questions, the little guy here will pay for it." He replied, referring to Miko who was gagged and has a sharp blade pointing at his neck.

Kurapika stiffened a little and was confused on what to do. It was the same situation back in York Shin where her friends were held as hostages by the Genei Ryodan. But it has a big difference too. Both Gon and Killua are strong and powerful nen users while Miko is just an ordinary orphan who knows nothing about nen and its mysteries.

"What do you want in exchange for the boy?" she asked as calmly as possible in order to prevent provoking the men. "Money? I'll pay you."

"Unfortunately," the man walked towards her bravely. "I only want entertainment." He said as he eyed Kurapika hungrily like a predator ready to swallow his prey. The man's right hand rose up and tilted Kurapika's chin. "You do know what I mean, right miss?" he asked slyly and his left hand slowly crawled inside her shirt.

Kurapika gasped horrifyingly and tried to jump back but the malicious man grabbed her wrist and twisted it to her back.

"Where are you going, miss? We were just starting." He whispered seductively to her ear and the girl shuddered disgustingly at the repulsive contact. The two other men who were watching laughed and she heard them say "I'm next!"

The man embraced her tightly while showering her neck disgusting kisses. Kurapika felt so humiliated, violated. Her pearly tears started streaming down her eyes that now turned blazing scarlet. Fortunately, the man didn't see for he's busy in what he's doing. If he did see it, he'll rape her first before gauging her eyes out. She tried so desperately hard to shun away from every contact the man makes.

But before the man can even start ripping her upper shirt, two needles flew past the two of them and it hit the men who were guarding Miko. They fell dead and Miko was able to free himself. Now that there are no more threats, Kurapika can now attack but her movements were restrained by the man.

Suddenly, out of the blue, a familiar figure appeared and walked towards them. It was a raven-haired man in black long sleeve shirt and pants with a cross tattoo on his forehead. His eyes that were always blank whenever Kurapika looked at them now sported a mad look. He was emitting killing aura which made the Kuruta shiver and so did the man. The Spider head had his Skill Book open on his right palm.

"W-what? Stay back or I'll kill her!"

Kuroro playfully smirked but the intensity in his eyes was rampaging. Taking out his needles, he flipped the pages of his book and suddenly emerged behind the man. He aimed a needle at the man's throat and whispered something which Kurapika almost barely heard.

"What do you think you're doing to my girl?" he asked and then stabbed the said needle directly at the man's throat.

The man gave out a strangled choke before falling down dead, showered by his own blood. Upon sensing that, Kurapika's knees gave out and she nearly fell on the floor hard if not for Kuroro who caught her by her back and gently let her sit on the ground.

Though she didn't want to cry more, Kurapika just can't hold back her tears that were flowing down her flaming scarlet eyes uncontrollably. She didn't want to show her mortal enemy her fragile and weak side. Kuroro positioned himself in front of her and pulled her into a slight embrace while she sobbed and leaned on his shoulder.

Kurapika must have been so disoriented and confused that it suddenly didn't matter with her that it was Kuroro Lucifer who was comforting her. Her chastity was nearly violated and any girl would react that way.

Kuroro looked at Miko who was also crying and looking at the two of them. He smiled at the child and gestured for him to get closer. When the he was a mere inch away from Kurapika, the Spider head loosened his embrace and let the child hug the girl instead.

"On...onee-chan." Miko sobbed and hugged her even tighter. "It's o...ok...okay now."

The Kuruta looked up at the child. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you anywhere?" she only sighed in relief when Miko shook his head and grinned playfully at her. Kurapika returned the smile and hugged him back.

Kuroro only watched not far from them but then his attention was caught by the eyes that were floating in aquariums. He explored the area with his onyx eyes then looked back at Kurapika.

"Let's return him and go back." He told the girl, summoned his Skill book again and used teleportation to get out of the building.

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When Kuroro and Kurapika returned Miko, Miss Tanaka almost looked like she would pass out at any given time. She thanked the two and scolded the boy mildly for separating himself from the group. Miko reasoned out that he followed a man with a bouquet of pretty yellow flowers and wanted to ask some from him.

After thanking them some more, Kurapika and Kuroro took a taxi cab towards Morei beach to head back home.

As usual, no one uttered a single word, each contemplating at each other's actions.

Why did Kuroro looked so mad when he saw what the man was doing to her?

Why did Kurapika let him embrace and comfort her?

How did he even find her in the first place?

So many questions yet no answers.

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Kurapika sat on a chair outside her balcony, drinking her tea. The gentle sea breeze caressed her gently as she watched the peaceful scenery quietly. It has been three days since _that _incident and no matter how hard she tries, she can't forget it. It became her new nightmare every night when she sleeps and it disturbs her nonstop.

When Kairo Bethel found out about it, not only did he order to annihilate the operations of that syndicate in the country but also in the whole world. He also scolded the Elite Seven for not doing their job properly while he thanked Kuroro for bringing her back safe and sound.

Her eyes twitched upon recalling those memories. The blonde Kuruta looked at the table and saw a set of poster paints, brushes and some canvasses that she used in these past three days. Every time she's in a bad mood or bothered, she would start painting anywhere around the island. All her past paintings were framed and displayed inside the mansion in Kirin Island.

"I guess I should paint again." Kurapika thought out loud and grabbed the materials. She stuffed them into her bag and walked out of her room. She was very careful not to cross paths with Kuroro Lucifer. It's not only her almost-rape incident she can't forget but also the moment when the Spider head came to her rescue and called her _'my girl'_. A faint blush made its way to her cheeks.

She arrived at the backyard garden where she seated herself inside a gazebo. Her painting topic is still life and Kurapika prepared everything she needed to start. She also arranged a set of flowers in front of her to paint. With a stroke of her brush, she started.

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Kuroro amused himself while watching the Kuruta paint.

He was just walking around the garden, enjoying some moments of peace when he stumbled upon the gazebo where Kurapika was setting up her things so that she could start her work. Coincidentally, he had the scarlet eyes that Shlanark had given him three days ago. Kuroro was planning on giving it to her when she can face him but it's obvious that the Kuruta is purposefully avoiding his presence.

Suddenly, an idea came into his head. The Spider head grinned broadly and approached the blonde. Kurapika must have sensed someone coming towards her for she turned her head and her eyes widened slightly when she laid them on his figure. Kuroro continued smiling but the girl already turned away and continued painting.

"Still life?" he asked.

"Obviously." Kurapika answered sarcastically and because her head was turned away from him, Kuroro didn't see that her face is getting redder and redder.

"Mhhmm..." he hummed and walked in front of her while holding the box of scarlet eyes on his left hand. "Paint me something." It sounded more like an order than a request.

"If you want a portrait of yourself go and ask someone else. Quit bothering me."

After saying that, Kuroro put the box on the table, opened it and took out a pair of cylinders containing. He positioned the cylinders in front of the flowers and when Kurapika looked up to the item, she was visibly shocked to see another pair of scarlet eyes. She practically stopped painting and just stared at those beautiful eyes.

Kuroro smiled. "I'll be back to get the painting. You can have the items used if you want."

And with that, he walked away casually. Unfortunately, he failed to see the small smile the formed at the Kuruta's lips when she continued painting.

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**Author's Note:** _Ahhhhh! Sorry for the OOC-ness! Thank you for the reviews! Yey!_

**Next: **_Someone named Michael Fuji arrives and tries to destroy __**something**__. The engagement between Kuroro and Kurapika willbe finally announced publicly. What will the Go, Killua, and Leorio's reaction?_


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Hunter x Hunter! I love Kurapika and Kuroro!_

**Warning**_**:**__I turned Kurapika into a girl here because I don't want my parents catching me writing yaoi. Sorry! Don't Kill ME! And expect wrong spelling and grammars since I did not properly edit this! Thanks!_

**Summary:** _Eight months after Kurapika's encounter with the Genei Ryodan, she found her long lost uncle and finally focused in finding her clan's eyes. What she didn't know is that Kuroro Lucifer already found someone who could lift the nen curse. RnR!_

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Chapter 7: Dance

"Is THIS really necessary?" Kurapika almost whined out childishly when she saw what her uncle wanted her to see; a purple halter neck dress matched with a black belt.

"Oh, yes, my dear." Kairo replied as he scrutinized the said dress with his ocean eyes. "You will look lovely in that."

"Ugh." The blonde grunted and took a few steps towards the dress and eyed it too critically. "I don't actually mind about wearing this dress but to put it on tomorrow? Definitely a NO." She said and turned to look at her uncle. "And explain to me again why you have to announce our ridiculous engagement publicly?"

Yes, the whole Bethel household is busy; busy in preparing every single detail needed for the official engagement party between Kuroro Lucifer and Kurapika Kuruta. The party will be held in another mansion in Ladenberg City and it will be grand and elegant, with famous and influential people invited. The said party is open to the media and common people who're interested in it.

Kurapika waited for her uncle to answer but the man only continued smiling at her.

"Well? I'm waiting." She impatiently tapped her feet and crossed her arms.

Kairo cleared his throat first before answering. "Well, you know how elusive I am to the media but tomorrow will be an exception." He started. "We are prominent figures in the society, my dear. All eyes and ears are solely directed at us right now, especially at you. I don't want the media invading your privacy like what they did to me and Zali that's why I will let them do whatever they want tomorrow and after that, they'll no longer bother you, me, and Kuroro."

At the mention of the Spider head's name, Kurapika visibly tensed up. Her deep ocean eyes looked down for a while. Being a not so ordinary person, Kairo noticed the slight change in her posture so he grinned mischievously.

"Speaking of Kuroro, I wonder where he is." He thought out loud. "These past few days, you two have been bickering less."

"That's because we avoid each other. And please stop talking about that jerk." Kurapika whispered audibly. "Let's go."

The man nodded and was about to walk towards the door when he spotted something hanging on the wall.

"Is that a new painting?" he asked when he saw the still life painting of a pair of scarlet eyes with daffodils behind it. It was hanging on the wall with a golden frame.

Kurapika can't help but be assaulted by a sudden urge of tearing the painting down. Of why she displayed it there instead in the Kirin Island mansion, she had no idea. Her uncle put a thumb on his chin and examined the new painting. He would nod every now and then. Kurapika shared a love of arts with him.

"Dad, I said let's go." The Kuruta hurriedly exited her room and Kairo followed, a smile still plastered on his face.

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Kuroro disembarked the yacht as soon as it reached the port. With him was Shalnark who immediately updated the Spider head about the Spiders he assigned to come with him to Bethel Island.

"Danchou, Machi arrived yesterday and Feitan followed. Phinx and Nobu will be coming today at three in the afternoon." Shalnark rambled and Kuroro listened intently while walking towards the mansion.

When the two arrived, they saw Machi and Feitan waiting for them patiently at the living room area. The servants have served them well since Kuroro ordered them so. He can see that his Spiders are not used to this kind of treatment.

"Danchou." Machi acknowledge and stood.

"Has Kurapika seen you two?" Kuroro asked and they shook their head.

"No and I don't think she would want to." Feitan said.

"She hasn't been out of her room lately." Machi turned to look at the grand stairs leading to the second floor where all the rooms of the mansion's inhabitants are located.

Understanding it, Kuroro nodded once and casted a sideways glance at Shalnark who was holding his netbook open. "How's the investigation about that syndicate?" By syndicate, he meant the human traffickers that nearly raped his fiancée. Until now, it's still a puzzle for him of why he suddenly felt enraged upon seeing what those scumbags had done to her.

Even before he got engaged with Kurapika, he was already keeping a vigilant eye on them. He suspected that they possess a couple of scarlet eyes in their hands which they sell in auction parties.

"It seems like they operate worldwide, Danchou." The sandy-blond guy started. "However, I still can't find any clues whether they're the organization who sell scarlet eyes to auctions and mafias."

"Find more information about them." Kuroro said and brought his hand to his mouth. "Hack their systems if you can, find out the countries and specific places where they operate and you know the rest."

"Yes, Danchou!" Shalnark replied with a smile and sat down on the couch that Machi and Feitan occupied. He then started typing furiously on his netbook with a stern expression plastered on his face.

Silence seemed to engulf them. Only the occasional tapping of Shalnark's fingers on the keyboard was heard. Machi and Feitan are both watching Shlanark do his work while also helping him in the process, often whispering silently to him, careful not to disturb their Danchou. Kuroro on the other hand settled himself on another plush couch, still thinking deeply.

But the silence was suddenly disrupted when they heard soft chattering coming from upstairs. Kuroro turned his head to the direction of the sound and smiled amusingly upon what his onyx eyes landed on. There, he saw Kairo Bethel talking to no other than his fiancé who was walking backwards with hands on her back. When Kairo saw Kuroro, he stopped on his tracks and gestured Kurapika to turn around.

She did turn around and upon seeing the _visitors_ of the mansion, her eyes widened a bit in shock and Kuroro noticed how fast her ocean blue eyes turn into red them back to its original color. He expected her to be furious and angry at the knowledge that he brought with him his Spiders but the blonde Kuruta did none of that. Instead, she continued walking downstairs with her uncle.

Kuroro and his Spiders stood up when Kairo Bethel himself walked towards their place with his hands on his pockets.

"Your friends, Kuroro?" The man asked and eyed Machi, Feitan, and Shalnark.

Kuroro smiled at looked at Kurapika who was a few meters behind her uncle and is looking away from him. He can see that her fists are curled tightly. "Kurapika's new bodyguards."

His statement did not fail to catch the Kuruta's and his Spider's attention. Kairo raised his brows at that. "How thoughtful, Kuroro." He said and chuckled heartily.

"Two more are coming." The Spider head informed. "They're-". Kuroro didn't have time to finish when Kurapika suddenly interrupted him.

"I don't need more bodyguards!" She nearly shouted and stomped her way towards him. She glared at him dangerously. "I already have the Elite Seven. I don't need your Spiders."

Kuroro smirked. "As far as I'm concerned, your so called _Elite_ Seven do not do their duties properly."

"Are you saying that they're useless?"

"Frankly, yes."

Kurapika suddenly grabbed the man's lapel and the Spiders immediately alerted themselves in case the worst happens.. "You bastard." She hissed which Kuroro responded with another smug smirk.

"I can accept your insults but if you're going to say that I'm wrong then that's another issue, Kurapika." He can see a little tint of red on her eyes now.

"Alright, enough of that." Kairo Bethel finally stepped in and put a hand on his niece's shoulder. Kurapika released her tight hold on Kuroro's jacket and angrily walked out of the mansion.

Kairo turned towards Kuroro and frowned slightly. "How are you going to erase Zali's nen if you keep on enraging her?" he asked.

The Spider head chuckled a bit. "You know what they say, '_the more you hate the more you love_'"

"True." Kairo agreed.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

_Next day…_

"Whoa!" Gon exclaimed, eyeing the Bethel Ladenberg Mansion wildly. "I can't believe Kurapika is even richer than you, Killua." He, Killua, and Leorio finally arrived at the engagement party and are sitting on the VIP table, watching people talking with each other. The party was held at the humongous garden of the mansion because that's what Kairo Bethel wanted.

It was unlike any other parties. It was so grand and expensive that every prominent people would be honoured to be invited. The Bethel family don't usually hold extravagant celebration such as this one. But since this party's purpose is a meaningful one, Kairo Bethel went all-out.

"My dad knows Mr. Bethel because he once hired him to kill those who tried to assassinate Zali Bethel." Killua replied and popped a large chunk of chocolate inside his mouth.

"Eh? Really?" he asked and the young ex-assassin nodded.

"Oi! You shouldn't be eating sweets before dinner, Killua!" Leorio irritatingly hissed and grabbed the said chocolate from Killua.

"Stop being such a grumpy old man, Leorio." Killua smirked. "You're just jealous of the lucky guy that Kurapika will marry."

Leorio suddenly flushed upon hearing that. "M..me? Jealous? What are you saying, you brat?"

Gon laughed at his older friend's reaction. "Ha! You're blushing!"

"I'm saying that too bad Kurapika turned you down when you confessed to her." The young Zoldyck replied and grinned at him.

"That's it!" Leorio stood up and tried to grab Killua but the latter already stood up and evaded him. "Come back here!"

"OI! Stop it guys!" Gon exclaimed when he noticed a few people staring at them disapprovingly.

Any moment from now, the engagement party will officially start. As expected, the visitors are of high calibre, often coming from families with high social statuses. Some mafia families were also invited and that includes the Nostrad family. The media was also present there, waiting for anything interesting to happen.

Suddenly, a silver Lamborghini arrived at the entrance of the garden and Kurapika's three best friend turned to look at the new arrival. The valets immediately opened the door of the car and a man with brunette hair and green eyes, wearing a white suite stepped out with a smile gracing his face. Some reporters from the media came to greet him and asked him questions.

"I know that guy!" Leorio stated, completely forgetting Killua. "He's Michael Fuji, son of the owner of Fuji Memorial Hospital."

"He's a doctor?" Gon asked.

"A surgeon, to be exact." The doctor-to-be corrected. "Man! I've gotta talk to him!" he declared and walked towards the said Michael Fuji excitedly.

Gon and Killua retreated to their seats and continued eating the sweets they got from the buffet table. They chatted for a while about their latest adventures an discoveries. Killua suddenly spotted two familiar figures from a distance. His eyes widened unbelievably when sudden realization struck him.

"Gon!" he almost shouted and pointed at the direction of those figures. "Kurapika and-"

"Kuroro Lucifer!" Gon had finished for him.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Kurapika looked very warily from side to side. The dress she's wearing is so uncomfortable and Kuroro made it even worse for he is standing so close to her that she can't help but squirm. Kuroro had noticed her situation and an 'evil' idea came into his mid.

He snaked his arm around Kurapika's waist and as anticipated, she tensed up a bit.

"What do you think you're doing?" she hissed at him.

"Hmm?" he only hummed and proceeded to lead her towards the party proper. Kurapika tried to slip away from his arm but he only tightened his hold and brought her even closer to his body. "Aren't couples supposed to be this close?" he asked amusingly

"Unfortunately, we are not-"

"Kurapika!" two familiar child-like voices shouted and the blonde looked at their side. Her eyes widened when she saw Gon and Killua approaching them as fast as they could.

"G… Gon... Killua!" she stuttered and break away from Kuroro's hold to meet her friends, not to greet them but to stop them if ever they attempt to do something.

"Why is the Spider head here?" Killua asked dangerously as he and Gon both fell into a defensive stance, ready to attack Kuroro if he ever tries to do anything funny.

"Isn't he supposed to be under your judgement chain?" Gon also asked but kept his chocolate eyes glued at him.

"Guys, listen." Kurapika tried to persuade the two but it fell into deaf ears.

Kuroro all the while watched in amusement while other visitors turned to look at the little commotion happening.

"Kids." Kairo Bethel suddenly appeared in behind Kuroro with Sato and Kenji with him. "Come with me, let's talk." He's always Kurapika and Kuroro's lifesaver at times like this.

Knowing him and his schemes, Killua and Gon decided that it will be a good idea to do what he wanted. Mr. Bethel will surely explain to them what's happening. And so, they followed the man as he retreated back to the mansion. Gon was at first hesitant since he's worried about leaving Kurapika with Kuroro Lucifer. But Kurapika had given him an assuring glance and smile.

When her uncle and friends disappeared from her sight, she turned to Kuroro and gave him a mild glare.

"Shall we?" he asked and gestured for Kurapika to take his hand. The girl hesitated and stared at the offered hand but finally took it and walked towards where they're supposed to sit.

On their way, the visitors greeted and congratulated them. Kurapika had to smile all the time but Kuroro can't help but notice that her smile is not genuine.

As they were talking to one of Mr. Bethel's business partners, a certain brunette guy approached the couple and stopped a few feet away from Kurapika.

"Hey, Kurapika." The blonde Kuruta turned around and so did Kuroro.

"Michael?" she asked in disbelief and Michael Fuji smiled broadly at her.

"How are you?" Michael asked back when Kurapika approached him after she excused herself.

"Fine. How are you? When did you come back?" Kurapika gleefully asked when she faced him.

"Doing great. Just came back today for you." The brunette replied and then turned his attention to Kuroro. "You must be Kuroro Lucifer, Kurapika's fiancé." He said and held out his hand. "Michael Fuji. Nice meeting you."

Kuroro only smiled slightly and shook his hand. Kurapika and Michael talked about random things while Kuroro only listened silently. Somehow, he felt like he can't trust Michael Fuji. There's an aura surrounding him that felt a bit malicious and simply manipulative.

After a while, Sato came to tell Kurapika that the Governor arrived and she has to greet him and his family. She immediately excused herself and went to the entrance with Sato following closely behind.

"She's just precious." Michael said while his eyes followed Kurapika's retreating figure.

Kuroro turned to look at him. "Precious?" he asked curiously.

"You know, she precious since she's the last living female Kuruta alive." The doctor replied and looked at Kuroro.

"You're not just any doctor, are you, Michael?" he stated with a smirk and Michael chuckled darkly.

"Your skill in deduction is something that should be applauded." Michael replied. "That's right. Aside from being a doctor, I also work as a Virus Hunter for the Hunter's Association."

"That's not the only thing I have deduced." Kuroro added, shoved his hand into his pockets and smirked smugly. "You actually like her, don't you?"

Michael's smiled instantly faded away and he turned his head towards Kuroro. The latter was still simply watching Kurapika shake hands with the governor and hug his wife.

"What makes you say that?" he asked without taking his eyes off the Spider head and in turn, Kuroro looked at him.

"Just my deduction."

"Well, that really is something." Michael said with a sneer. "Honestly, yes, I like her. A lot." His voice then turned stern. "And I'm not the type who gives up without a fight."

"Me neither." Kuroro found himself saying and he was actually surprised at himself.

The doctor laughed a bit and looked back at Kurapika who's now chatting with the Governor's wife, smiling and chuckling every now and then. "I will have her, Kuroro Lucifer. Just wait and see."

Kuroro smiled in response. "I'll be anticipating it, Mr. Fuji." He said, challenging him.

"I have the advantage here. I've known her for eight months while you've just met her a few weeks ago."

"That's where you're wrong." The Spider head replied, crossing his arms. Michael gave him a puzzled look and he explained for him his unspoken question. "You see, Kurapika and I met five years ago in her hometown, Lukuso Village. However, my stay was brief and I left hurriedly. So, she set out to look for me herself." Kuroro gave Michael a smug look. "What do you think of our love story?"

"What the-"

"But you're right at the same time." Kuroro interrupted before the young doctor can finish. "You have the advantage and that will only make things more challenging."

With that, Kuroro Lucifer walked away, heading towards Kurapika to join his fiancée and leaving a confused Michael Fuji behind.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The party proper started a few of the guests gave out their speeches, dedicated to Kuroro and Kurapika who're both sitting closely at one of the VIP tables. Then, visitors gave the couple expensive gifts which the two accepted gratefully. After a while, Kairo Bethel gave another brief speech and held a toast for them. All the while, Kurapika and Kuroro stayed close with each other, careful not to make anyone suspicious of the Kuruta's usually volatile behaviour towards her fiancé.

Kuroro, like Kurapika, do not usually enjoy parties like this but he had to do it. He just felt suddenly possessive of the Kuruta after Michael Fuji declared that he will fight for her. Speaking of him, Michael is currently sitting on another VIP table, smiling fakely at the couple.

Meanwhile, Gon and Killua already came back after a long chat with Kairo. Fortunately, none of them acted like what they did before when they first saw Kuroro with Kurapika. The Kuruta assumed that her uncle must have already explained the whole situation. All that's left is for the two to explain to Leorio who was still trying his best to hold a conversation with Michael.

Kuroro suddenly stood up from his seat in the middle of a pianist's performance and bent down to whisper at Kurapika's ears. "Let's go." He said and drew back.

Kurapika looked at him, brows furrowed. "Where?" she asked. "If it's not important, then-" she was not able to finish again when the raven-haired man grabbed her wrist and pulled her up, forcing her to stand up too. "Wait! Hey!" the blonde protested while Kuroro dragged her with him towards the dance floor.

Before she knew it, the pianist already played another song suitable for slow dancing. Upon seeing the couple in the middle of the dance floor, the guests clapped their hand while smiling broadly at them. Kurapika blushed ten times redder than she normally does and it amused Kuroro.

The Spider head snaked both arms around the girl's slender waist and pulled her closer to him which gave Kurapika no choice but to also rest her hands on his shoulders. Then, the two started dancing slowly to the music's beat. Kurapika hid her blush by looking down at their feet while Kuroro looked more like he was hugging her than just simply dancing.

"Was that the proper way for a man to ask a girl to dance?" She angrily asked but Kuroro only responded with a soft hum.

For Kuroro's part, he's a bit confused whether he's doing this to gain her favour or because of something else. As for Kurapika, she was also puzzled by every advances Kuroro makes. She feels so vulnerable in every touch and every contact she makes with him. She wants to badly kill this man after everything is over; after the cursed nen in her body disappears.

But if it did disappear, will she be able to accomplish her revenge?

XXXXXXXXXXXX

**Author's Note: **_Finally! Finished Chapter 7! This may not be worth the wait! Sorry if I have so many OCs and forgive me for the OCC-ness! If you hate me, feel free to tell me! Hahaha!_

**Next: **_Vacation. After the engagement, now what? Kairo Bethel hatches another plan that will bring our beloved Kuroro and Kurapika even closer. They're going on a vacation! Yay! _


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Hunter x Hunter! I love Kurapika and Kuroro!_

**Warning**_**:**__ I turned Kurapika into a girl here because I don't want my parents catching me writing yaoi. Sorry! Don't Kill ME! And expect wrong spelling and grammars since I did not properly edit this! Thanks!_

**Summary:** _Eight months after Kurapika's encounter with the Genei Ryodan, she found her long lost uncle and finally focused in finding her clan's eyes. What she didn't know is that Kuroro Lucifer already found someone who could lift the nen curse. RnR!_

_**MARYLOVER: **__Haha! Glad you noticed that! Actually, I was going to explain why Kuroro did not hide his identity on the previous chapter but I decided against it and put the explanation on the first part of Chapter 8. Hope it will suffice your curiosity._

_**To all my readers:**__ Thank you so much for your reviews! I really appreciate you all! Thank you for reading this fanfic since the beginning! I love you all!_

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Chapter 8: Advances and Rings

"Are you just plain stupid or what?"

Kuroro Lucifer looked up from the book he was reading to the figure looming above him. He saw Kurapika practically crossing her arms and wearing an annoyed face. It's very early in the morning and here she goes again, distracting and trying to sort out some issues with him.

He heaved a deep tired sigh. "What is this about, Kurapika?"

"I'm talking about how stupid and reckless you were during the engagement party." The Kuruta said.

"Elaborate, will you?"

"This!" A newspaper landed roughly on his lap and Kuroro had to close his book to gather and read them.

The front page article didn't surprise him at all: "Bethel Heiress Gets Engaged". And there's a picture of him and Kurapika holding hands and looking like sweet lovers. He chuckled at the irony of his thoughts.

"What's with this week's article?" he asked as he read the said article.

"I'm not talking about the article but YOU!"

"Me?"

"Yes YOU, Mr. Lucifer!" Kurapika gritted her teeth angrily but what surprised Kuroro is that her eyes did not turn flaming scarlet despite the fact that she's already very pissed off.

Kuroro only continued to stare at the newspaper and the blonde angrily grabbed it away from his hands to get his attention. "Black eyes? Cross on the forehead? Kuroro Lucifer? Does that ring any bell, huh?"

"Sounds like me." The Spider head replied and looked at Kurapika.

"It is you, jerk!" the Kuruta angrily confirmed. "I just belatedly realized how stupid you are for going out without anything to cover up your true identity. Even if only a few mafia families were invited, you should have still made some precautionary measures because hunters know who you really are. Now you've endangered my family's life." She almost shouted at him.

Instead of feeling sorry, Kuroro only smirked which angered his fiancée even more. "It's your uncle's idea, love."

Kurapika blushed furiously as expected. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that or I'll rip off that head of yours!" She then stomped away from him, probably going to her uncle's study room to interrogate the poor man.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

_One week ago..._

A few hours before the engagement party started, Kuroro choose to sit inside his own room in the Ladenberg mansion, briefing the newly arrived Nobunaga and Phinx about the current situation.

"So, we came here to become temporary bodyguards for the Kuruta." Nobunaga had calmly stated after Shlanark told them their real purpose for coming with their Danchou. "Do you think I'm stupid, huh?" he then suddenly stood up angrily and grabbed Shalnark by his lapel. "How am I supposed to get my revenge for Ubo if I am ordered to protect her, huh?"

"Nobu! Calm down!" Shalnark begged uselessly.

"Nobu." Their leader called out sternly and the samurai let down the sandy-blond guy.

"Danchou! This is ridiculous!" Nobunaga replied and turned to glare at his leader fearlessly. "I thought I can do anything once you've stolen those twins' ability?"

"Things changed, Nobu." Kuroro explained and looked at his Spider coldly. It not only sent shivers down the samurai's spine but also at the others who're present in the room. "I do not wish to hear any more of your complaints. But keep in mind that I'm doing what is best for the Ryodan and Ryuusegai."

Nabunaga finally opted to just watch his Danchou and go back to the position where he was sitting a few moments ago.

His words were enough to shut anyone who tries to question his actions further. Seeing that no one will voice out their opinions at him, Kuroro finally ordered them to disperse around the mansion to keep watch of the area in case something happens.

When his Spiders disappeared, the man stood up, walked over the mahogany wardrobe and opened it. His suit for the party is ready and he pulled it out to wear it. He also wrapped a bandage around his forehead to cover his cross tattoo. Using his half-stolen ability from Hisoka will only pose problem for it might drain the strength and stamina he will need to survive the party.

"That's just lame, Kuroro." A very familiar voice stated and the Spider head turned around to see who that person was. He saw Kairo Bethel leaning on the wall with arms crossed, smiling at him knowingly.

"Do you always have the tendency to appear at either the most convenient and inconvenient times?" Kuroro asked as he tied his purple tie that will match Kurapika's dress.

"It's a habit of mine." Kairo replied and smiled even more. "Anyway, I came here to tell you not to hide your identity."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because..." the middle-aged man sauntered towards Kuroro and stopped when he was a meter away. "That wouldn't make you two officially engaged. Think about it. If you go with your chosen pen name Krisu Segawa that would mean my niece is engaged to a certain Krisu Segawa and not to Kuroro Lucifer."

Kuroro nodded once and finally succeeded on his battle with his unbelievably uncooperative tie. "True. But I know you're fully aware that revealing to the whole world that a certain S-class criminal is getting engage will not only endanger Kurapika but also you."

"I know." Kairo then broke into a wide grin. "But won't that make things very challenging? Daring bounty and blacklist hunters will come and try to get your head. This means that they will try and use Kurapika as bait which will also test your abilities in protecting her." The man spun on his heels and headed towards the door to exit the room. "And besides, after the engagement, you're practically part of the family now and _no one_ messes with the Bethel family." He added and completely walked out.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Alright! Listen up everyone!" Kairo Bethel shouted excitedly as he ran downstairs hurriedly, like a child speeding up to get his presents underneath the Christmas tree. "It's that time of the mo nth now!"

The occupants of the area that he gathered, namely Kuroro, Kurapika, the Elite Seven and the five Spiders, all turned their attention to the seemingly childish grinning man. The said man was holding what they can make out as a travel magazine.

"Time of the-oh." Kurapika started but stopped halfway.

"Now what is this about?" Kuroro heard one of his Spiders, probably Nobunaga, muttered.

"Vacation time!" Kairo continued for them.

Every end of the month, the Bethel family and some selected friends go on a well-deserved one-week vacation as a reward for working very hard. They usually go out of the country to visit famous tourist spots abroad. So you can safely say that they work their asses off for three weeks and then go relax without worries for one week.

"Vacation?" Kuroro repeated in curiosity.

"That's right! We're going on a vacation. And since this will be like your honeymoon, I'll let you two decide the place." He declared, referring to Kurapika and Kuroro, then tossed the travel magazine to the latter who caught it effortlessly.

Kurapika on the other hand was visibly flushing upon hearing the word 'honeymoon' come out from her uncle's mouth. Meanwhile, the Spider head flipped through the magazine's pages and looked at Kurapika who was sitting opposite him.

He smiled charmingly at her. "Why not sit beside me and discuss where we should go, hon?" he tapped the empty space beside him.

_Ah, shit_. Kurapika glared at him angrily and this time, her eyes had a tint of crimson in it.

"Stop calling-"

"I didn't." Kuroro interrupted. He just loves to interrupt his fiancée. "I called you _hon_ not _love_." He said with a smirk.

"That's it!" Kurapika almost shouted. "I'm out of here." The blonde declared and made her way towards the stairs. But before she can even take one step on it, Kairo blocked her way calmly.

"Stay, my dear. This is supposed to be something fun and relaxing for you."

Kurapika gritted her teeth. "Even if I'm going to this month's vacation, how am I suppose to have fun and relax when he's around?" she hissed audibly and pointed at Kuroro who just raised his brows in amusement.

"I've also invited Gon, Killua, and Leorio for you. That would add fun to your vacation time." Her uncle informed which stunned Kurapika a bit.

"You shouldn't." Her voice was low and a bit shaky. "They might..." she trailed off.

"I've explained everything to them so don't worry. Just go back and..." the man sauntered towards the couch which Kurapika occupied a while ago. "just sit with Kuroro to plan everything."

The girl looked at Kuroro and then to her uncle. "Get up, dad. That's my seat."

"Not anymore." Her uncle grinned mischievously. "Go sit with Kuroro."

"You know, I prefer standing." She retorted.

At this, Kuroro chuckled heartily which has taken his Spiders aback. These are one of the rare moments when their Danchou actually enjoys something. Sure, he would smirk and smile every now and then when he's around them but not really chuckle or laugh genuinely.

"Don't be stubborn, Kurapika and just sit beside me before you tire your legs out. You wouldn't want me to carry you to your room, would you?" he threatened.

His words seemed to sink into Kurapika's mind for the Kuruta actually looked intimidated. She slowly walked towards the seat Kuroro is occupying and gently seated herself beside him. She crossed her arms annoyingly while the Spider head slowly leaned towards her and shared the travel magazine with her.

The Spiders and Elite Sven distracted themselves by talking with each other. The two groups don't have any anger issues with one another. Even Sato and Feitan who fought with each other weeks ago are all friendly with each other. It seems like the Elite Seven will only hate them when ordered by Kurapika.

Kairo Bethel also joined the two groups' discussion, leaving the couple to silently plan the most awaited vacation. After a while, Kairo lead the two groups towards the room where he keeps all his sword collections. Nobunaga was the most excited one for he was a lover a swords. Now, Kurapika and Kuroro are all alone.

"How about a hot spring?" Kuroro asked as he flipped another page and pointed at a certain picture of a hot spring.

"Dad hates them." Kurapika calmly refused and Kuroro nodded.

"Then, a tropical beach resort? You're friends will certainly enjoy that place." He suggested again.

"That's actually a nice idea." Kurapika turned to look at Kuroro but was surprised when she found her face only mere centimetres away from him. Kuroro was equally shocked and they stared at each other for a while, not knowing what to do next.

Before he knew it, he suddenly felt an urge to lean forward a little more and let his lips settle into hers gently. And that's what he actually did. When his lips sealed hers, he did not feel any resistance from the Kuruta. In fact, he saw her close her eyes before the contact was made.

The kiss felt so real and right. It was also very ironic. He actually managed to kiss her when she was so angry and pissed off at him a while ago. Yet, he didn't care about that right now. Something inside him suddenly changed. An alien feeling surged up inside his chest but he ruthlessly ignored the said feeling and just continued savouring the Kuruta's soft lips.

For Kurapika's part, she felt stunned at the action that the Spider head did. What should she do? Should she push him away? Slap him? What? It was unexpected but somehow, she _liked _the feel of it. However, there's still confusion inside her head. She didn't know what to do. She must push him away or else he'll continue doing this to her. There was a battle going on inside her.

When the kiss broke, Kuroro looked at Kurapika and was a bit surprised when the girl's blush was so noticeable. She covered mouth and glared at him.

"Not a word to anyone." She hissed, stood up and sprinted towards the stairs as fast as her feet can.

"Kuroro?" It was Kairo Bethel, returning from touring Kurapika's bodyguards. "What happened?" he asked.

The Spider head did not even look at Kairo when he answered. "We've decided to go to Lanikai Beach in Tesoros." He kept his eyes glued at Kurapika's retreating figure.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The flight to the country of Tesoros was ten hours in a blimp. Fortunately, they didn't have to wait for one for Kairo Bethel already owned a private blimp. The people going to Lanikai beach are Kairo, Kurapika, Kuroro, Gon, Killua, the Elite Seven and the Spiders. Leorio had to pass for the reason that he needs to study for his upcoming medical midterm examinations.

Kuroro Lucifer sat on a chair near the glass windows that overlooked the ocean below. Last time he rode a blimp, he was also with Kurapika but the difference is that she's still a 'boy' and they're not on good terms. Right now, although the 'boy' part was already fixed, he has no idea if her hatred for him lowered down a bit.

He then gladly reminisced the different times he was with her. Those were the fun times for they would endlessly bicker with each other about certain trivial things. He would always win for he would resort to teasing and the Kuruta is bad at handling his teasing. He also recalled the moment when he had kissed her. After that incident, Kurapika refused to talk about it and avoided him for a few days. It's always the same routine being repeated over and over again.

Kuroro glanced at his wrist watch and found out there's still four more hours before they arrive at Tesoros. He stood up from his seat and decided to go to the room he shared with Kurapika.

As he entered the room, he was expecting Kurapika to be out somewhere but what surprised him is that she's lying on the queen-sized bed, sleeping. Her hands were holding a book so Kuroro concluded that she fell asleep while reading one. Sensing that the temperature inside the room increased a bit since the last time he was inside, he walked towards the Kuruta, took the book from her hands and pulled up a blanket to cover her.

He sat of a sofa nearby and looked at the book she was reading. But to his surprise, it was not a book but a photo album. There were tons of pictures of his Kurapika, Kairo and Zali Bethel on different places. This album must be like a log or something.

Kuroro then decided to look further at the pictures.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Kurapika stirred in her sleep and finally regained consciousness. She opened her eyes slowly and pushed herself up from the bed. But she was suddenly pinned back by a strong arm on top of her waist. When her head turned to look at what's beside her, she blushed furiously at the sight.

On her side is the figure of Kuroro Lucifer, peacefully sleeping while_ cuddling_ her.

"Hey..." she whispered, annoyed and shook his shoulders lightly. It makes her look rude for disturbing someone from his sleep but she didn't care. All Kurapika wanted to for him to remove his arm from her. She tried to remove it herself but the string arm just won't budge.

Finally, Kuroro opened his eyes and looked at Kurapika sleepily. "Are we there yet?" he asked.

"No, but I can certainly appreciate it if you remove your arm around me." She said menacingly.

Kuroro looked at the said arm and smiled childishly. "And if I won't?"

"I'll decapitate it."

Before Kuroro could even respond, the door of their room suddenly burst open and Kairo Bethel entered excitedly.

"We're here! Let's-oh." He suddenly stopped when he saw the promising position of the couple. He grinned mischievously. "Did I disturb you? I'm very sorry." He said and closed the door.

Kurapika blushed even more and she forcefully swatted Kuroro's arm away. "Seriously!" she bellowed and stood up. "People have no manners nowadays! Can't they knock before entering?"

"Don't be upset. Come here, I'll hug you again." Kuroro teased lovingly.

"Shut up, Kuroro!" The girl angrily retorted and went inside the bathroom.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

After arriving and renting the most luxurious hotel in the resort, Gon and Killua, together with Yuri and Eri, immediately changed into their swimming attires and plunged themselves into the water. The female members of the Elite Seven and Machi went out to but things needed for their stay while the guys stayed and continued talking with each other on the beach.

Kurapika was neither at the beach nor at the hotel. She has a tendency to go to the local market place and malls of the town and find interesting books and artefacts that she might like. Right now, she's exploring a luxurious mall that sells rare old books. She's actually enjoying herself since no bodyguards and no Kuroro Lucifer is there to keep an eye on her.

"This sound interesting." She thought out loud after reading the summary of a certain book she was holding. After a while she went to the counter and purchased the said book.

A few moments later, Kurapika found herself exploring the other parts of the mall. There were a few bookshops in sight because most of the boutiques are for gadgets and jewelleries. Speaking of jewelleries, Kurapika caught in sight a store with a peculiar name; 'Devil's Glitters'.

Before she knew it, the Kuruta's feet brought her inside the said jewellery store. The attendants immediately entertained her.

"Good afternoon, ma'am. Is there anything you're looking for?" one of them asked.

Kurapika actually had no idea why she went inside but nevertheless, she found herself nodding. "I'm looking for a ring."

"A ring? Wedding ring or a couple ring?"

"Engagement ring." She muttered and almost slapped herself. What's happening to her?

"In that case ma'am, you can sit down here and we'll bring you all sorts of rings you can choose from."

Following the attendant's instructions, she seated herself on a comfortable couch while they prepared the rings as promised. A few moments later, they came back, bringing with them different boxes.

"Here they are, ma'am. Choose any ring you like."

Kurapika stared at the rings that were spread on a table in front of her. "I'm looking for a ring suitable for a guy."

"Oh. Must be for you fiancé, right ma'am?" the attendant ask and she unconsciously nodded.

"Very well, this might suite your future husband, ma'am." She showed Kurapika a ring all made up of onyx stone. "This ring symbolizes steadfastness, strength, permanence, firmness, courage and self-control."

Kurapika felt like the attendant just described the person inside her head. "I think I should take that."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Where is your master?" Kuroro asked rather worriedly as his eyes scanned the whole area of the beach. He found no Kuruta in sight. Her other friends are busy playing around with the twins and that made him anxious as to where her location is.

"The Miss likes exploring the local market and malls in new places. I'd wager that she's there." Sato replied as he put another meat on the grill. Kairo Bethel announced that they'll be having a barbecue party on their first day in the resort.

"Is that so?" the Spider head asked and sat down on the nearest bench he found. Then he silently observed the scenery before him.

It's actually the first time in a long time he ever felt so peaceful inside. He was wearing a typical dark blue t-shirt with purple tie-dye prints and matching shorts that dropped up to his knees. There were only a few tourists in the shores because Lanikai Resort is very exclusive and only a few people come here to enjoy themselves. Another cause is because of the ridiculously high prices.

He turned to his side and found Feitan and a female Elite Seven, Seiya, talking and carrying with them some coconuts. Behind them are Nobunaga, Phinx, Jo, and Kenji chattering. Aki and Machi on the other hand are also in the cottage he is occupying, helping Sato in grilling the remaining sea foods.

A few moments later, Kurapika arrived, looking grim and a little not herself and she carried with her two shopping bags. Kuroro immediately stood up from his seat and walked towards the approaching Kuruta casually.

"Where have you been?" he asked as he took the two bags from her hands.

Though that move was unexpected, Kurapika just let him go his way. Usually, she would not allow him to treat and pamper her like some delicate being who is not allowed to do heavy work.

"That doesn't concern you."

"It actually does." Kuroro retorted and followed her towards the hotel. His response made Kurapika tense up a bit.

The two continued walking towards the hotel and then to the room they shared. At first, Kurapika protested about the two of them sharing the same room but her uncle insisted (again) that they should at least get used to sleeping together so that they won't have problems after the wedding.

Kuroro put the bags downs on a table and opened the windows of their hotel room. Kurapika opened the wardrobe at the corner and took out a sleeveless shirt and a pair of shorts with hibiscus flower prints on it that she will wear during the barbecue party. Then, she walked towards the comfort room to change. But before she went in, the blonde looked at Kuroro who was observing the ocean from the windows.

"The blue bag on the right is for you." She said hesitantly and shyly. Kuroro turned to look at her then to the said blue bag. "Take it as my... thank you gift for giving me those eyes." And with that, the Kuruta hurriedly dashed inside the comfort room.

Kuroro smiled at her reaction and paced towards the bags. He grabbed the blue bag and took out the book it contained. It was the same book Kurapika bought from the mall.

"The Journey of the Lynx?" he thought out loud and opened the book. He retreated to a seat nearby and started reading the first chapter. A few seconds later, he noticed something fell from the book. It was a bookmark.

When Kuroro bent down to retrieve the bookmark, he saw an onyx ring tied on the rope-like design of the said bookmark. His eyes widened but went back to normal as he smiled at himself when he read the description written at the bookmark.

**Devil's Glitter Jewelleries.**

**Stone name:** Onyx

**Symbolizes:** steadfastness,

strength, permanence,

firmness, courage and self-control.

**Men's Wear:** suitable for Engagements,

and Weddings.

When he finished reading the description, he untied the ring and slid it at his ring finger carefully. Kuroro scrutinized the ring well and looked at the direction of the door to the comfort room. Kurapika has yet to emerge from it.

"Looks like the plan is going well." He whispered to himself and resumed reading.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

**Author's Note:** _Hey hey hey! Reviews people! Thank you! Hahaha! _

_**Next: **__Kuroro finds out that a rich politician in Tesoros possesses a pair of scarlet eyes. He and Kurapika team up to get those said eyes. More interactions will happen between our couple! Yay! _


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Hunter x Hunter! I love Kurapika and Kuroro!_

**Warning**_**:**__ I turned Kurapika into a girl here because I don't want my parents catching me writing yaoi. Sorry! Don't Kill ME! And expect wrong spelling and grammars since I did not properly edit this! Thanks!_

**Summary:** _Eight months after Kurapika's encounter with the Genei Ryodan, she found her long lost uncle and finally focused in finding her clan's eyes. What she didn't know is that Kuroro Lucifer already found someone who could lift the nen curse. RnR!_

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Chapter 9: Changes and Realizations

Shalnark stayed up late in his own hotel room last night and did not join the barbecue party since he was busy carrying out his Danchou's orders for him. Kuroro did not simply pick out Lanikai Resort to go to. He has reasons in everything and the main purpose for choosing the far country of Tesoros is because his current leads told him that a rich politician by the name of Congressman Erson Tsuboya possesses a pair of precious scarlet eyes.

The sandy-blond guy finally finished locating the Congressman's main manor and headed out of his room to give the information to his Danchou. While walking in the hallway leading to Kuroro's shared room with Kurapika, Shalnark took his sweet time thinking about how much their leader changed in the past weeks he spent with the Kuruta.

As far as the Spider was concerned, Kuroro Lucifer is not the type of person who wastes his time bickering with someone about trivial things. He also doesn't like attending parties except when he's going to loot the family hosting the said party. Also, this is the very first time Kuroro took interest in the opposite sex.

Yes, it was very obvious in their eyes. Their Danchou is interested with Kurapika. The Spider head has yet to realize it. Even though he would always remind them that his actions are for the Spiders and for the people of Ryuusegai, his eyes would always tell a different and unexpected story.

Shalnark stopped on his tracks upon arriving at the front door of his Danchou's hotel room. He knocked three times and when the door opened, he was surprised to see who greeted him.

"Uh… Good morning." Shalnark stuttered and smiled sheepishly.

"Kuroro's not here." Kurapika replied apathetically. "He's probably by the beach."

"Um, thanks, Miss." The Spider replied, bowed a little in respect and walked away.

"Just a second." Kurapika stepped out of the room, carrying with her what looked like a towel. "Give this to him." She said and handed Shlanark the cloth. After that, she walked back to her room and said nothing further.

The sandy-blond Spider was clearly puzzled but the nonetheless continued walking out of the hotel to head to the beach and look for his Danchou. When he was outside, cold wind instantly assaulted his body, making the young man shiver. A few moments later, Shalnark spotted Kuroro emerging from the waters, soaking wet.

Looks like he was just having an early morning dip.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Kuroro walked towards the cottage after a refreshing swim. Shalnark was sitting on a bench waiting for him with a wide silly grin.

"Danchou." His spider greeted and handed him a towel. "From Kurapika."

He stared at the offered towel and then looked up to the hotel. He searched for the balcony of his hotel room and saw his fiancée painting again. Kuroro smiled at himself and realized he didn't bring any towels when he went down for a swim. He then took the towel from Shalnark and draped it over him.

"Since you're here, I assume that you've confirmed it now." Kuroro said to his Spider.

"Positive, Danchou. The Congressman definitely has one. This is the address of the mansion where he keeps the eyes." Shalnark gave him a piece of paper with an address written on it.

"Good work." The Spider head said and walked back to the hotel.

Kuroro headed back to his hotel room and upon arriving, he immediately wore the onyx ring which he took off when he went to swim and put it on the side table. After changing into black sleeveless shirt and matching shorts, he went over to the balcony where Kurapika was still painting.

"Nice." He commented upon seeing the painting of the ocean and sat down on a chair beside the Kuruta while holding with him the book she gave him yesterday. "And thanks for the book…" the Kuruta continued painting, ignoring his presence. "… and the ring too." Kuroro grinned mischievously without taking his eyes off from the chapter of the book he let off.

Even when he can't see it visibly, he was able to feel that the Kuruta stopped on what she's doing and turned to look at Kuroro. "Ring?" she asked but her voice sounded very nervous.

"Yes, this ring." He showed her the ring on his ring finger and her eyes widened.

"Wha- that's not for you!" she protested and tried to grab Kuroro's hand, dropping the paint brush she was holding. Kuroro managed to avoid the 'attack' and he stood up to back away from her.

"That's hard to believe especially when my name is engraved inside it." He smirked and Kurapika blushed furiously.

"Give that back!" the blonde shouted as she tried once again to grab Kuroro's hand. Yes, she remembered that the attendants at Devil's Glitters store offered her to etch the name of the person she was going to give it to. She also told then that Kuroro likes books and they suggested that the ring can be tied at the end of a bookmark. Kurapika must have mixed up the items inside the bags yesterday.

"No." the man replied sternly and caught Kurapika's wrist. He locked both of her wrists behind her quickly and he pulled her closer to his body.

"Let go, Kuroro." She hissed at him at it amused Kuroro as always.

"Not until you admit that the ring really was for me."

"I told you, it's not for you!"

"Oh?" he smirked amusedly when his Kuruta tried to struggle out of his grasps. But in terms of raw power, Kuroro is still has the advantage. "Let's make it easier. I'll count to three and if you'll still deny it, I'll kiss you."

"What?"

"One."

"Hey! I said it's not for you."

"Two." He leaned closer to her, a smirk gracing his handsome face.

"Let go, jerk!"

"Three."

"Fine!" Kurapika finally shouted when Kuroro's face was in close proximity with hers. "I…It's for you. Now you've heard what you want to hear, let go!"

As promised, Kuroro loosened his grip from the Kuruta's wrists and she backed away, blushing really hard. She cupped her mouth with her hand and dashed back to the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ne, Killua." Gon called out to his best friend who was munching another box of Choco Robo. "Can we really trust Kurapika to Kuroro Lucifer? I mean should we?" he asked.

"That's why we're here, Gon. I still don't trust Mr. Bethel's words." The young ex-assassin said and stood up. "But I sensed something changed within the Spider head."

"What do you mean?"

"It's just that," Killua paused and looked down, contemplating. "When we first saw him back at York Shin, he's really cold. I mean, literally. And there's this death aura surrounding him. But when we met him again at the engagement party, that aura subsided a bit."

"Are you saying that something changed him?" Gon asked, listening intently. "In that case, what is it?"

"I think it's not something, Gon, but _someone_."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Kurapika clutched her chest as she tried to calm herself down. Her breathing was a bit frantic and she's attempting to breathe normally like before. What the hell is happening to her? Why is it always like this? Every time Kuroro would tease her, she can't help but feel her heart race. Half of her screams that she should just give in to him but the other half keeps on reminding her that he is her clan's enemys and she shouldn't get close to him.

Kurapika looked up to the mirror and saw how pitiful she looked. Her scarlet eyes glared back and she felt like it was consuming her entire being.

"Damn it." She cursed under her breath and turned the faucet on. Cold water ran from it. She cupped the water and splashed it to her face. "Just… damn it!"

_Why can't I deny him? I need to deny him! He's the enemy! The reason why everything in my perfect world was ruined!_

She suddenly heard a couple of knocks. "Kurapika? Are you still there?" It was her uncle.

The Kuruta immediately grabbed a towel nearby and wiped her face with it. She waited for her eyes to return to their normal blue hue and after a few seconds, she opened the door of the comfort room and saw her uncle's figure standing in front of her with a worried look on his face.

"What happened?" he asked as he put an arm around her shoulders and helped her sit down on a couch nearby. "Tell me."

"It's nothing. I just don't feel well right now." She replied and leaned back to rest her body on the soft cushion of the seat.

"Is it your scarlet eyes again?" Kurapika gave out a faint nod.

After running away from the room she shared with Kuroro, Kurapika went to the lobby of the hotel and stayed there with her eyes burning scarlet in anger. It's a good thing that she's wearing dark glasses so the red tint of her eyes was safely hidden.

Despite knowing that she will get sick and weak when her eyes turn red due to anger, she refused to let it go back to normal and just let it burn like fire, consuming the anger that feeds it. However, something is amiss. There's another feeling inside her; an alien feeling that she felt for the first time in her life.

"Dad." She whispered audibly and closed her eyes. "Why is this happening? I don't understand these changes in me."

"When did it start?" Kairo asked.

"Ever since…" she paused. _Ever since he came to my life_.

Kairo Bethel smiled at the hesitation that his niece showed. "I love you, Kurapika like my own daughter and you know that." He started and Kurapika opened her eyes to look at her uncle. She smiled at him. "Whatever your decision will be, I will always support you. BUT…" he looked at her firmly. "…I'm asking you to stop dwelling in the past. No matter how much it hurt you, you cannot reverse things that already happened."

"Then what should I do?" she asked wearily and brought her left arm to cover her eyes. "Even if I cannot change things, I can at least bring justice to them." She was now referring to the Kuruta massacre. "Mom, dad… all of them. They asked me to…" she trailed off and pearly tears began to stream down her delicate cheeks.

"Hey, hey! Don't cry, my dear!" Kairo cried out, at loss of what to do. This is absolutely the first time he had seen his strong and invincible niece break into a crying fit.

"Dad," she chuckled slightly at the sight of her uncle flustering.

"Take this as an advice from me because, like you, I have experienced hating others and planning revenge." Kurapika wiped her tears and looked at him. "Ten years ago, when you were still seven, I was exiled from the clan because of marrying Zali. I was so angry that I planned to assassinate the current head who was your grandfather and my father. But I soon realized, with the help of Zali, that instead of focusing all my energy on revenge, I should just focus in my life and live happily with the woman I love. Five years ago, after that fateful day of the massacre, I regretted that I was not able to reconcile with my father."

"Uncle…" she whispered when she saw Kairo's smiling yet torn expression.

"I wanted to introduce to him my wife whom I was so proud of. I also wanted to congratulate youre father for becoming the new clan head. But everything was over." He then looked at Kurapika. "But despite that, I did not even have any intention of avenging my family because I have you to focus on. If I drive myself into getting revenge for them, how will I be able to work hard and give you a happy and peaceful life?"

Kurapika was silent and she contemplated on her uncle's words. Eight months ago, her only purpose is to bring justice to the death of her family while retrieving the stolen scarlet eyes that rightfully belonged to her and her clan. She didn't think of what her friends might feel if she was suddenly killed by the Ryodan.

Now, there's her uncle who was so good and loving that she can't imagine what would happen to his smile once she's gone because of her ridiculous purpose.

"Look on the bright side of things. Gon, Killua and Lerio are there for you. I will always be by your side and then there's your future husband."

At the mention of her future husband, Kurapika tensed up. "That jerk." She whispered to herself.

"That's right. That jerk whom you're falling for."

"W—what?" Kurapika almost shouted as she stood up and almost stumbled.

"Calm down, my dear. I'm just kidding. It's still a long way from that, right?" Kairo chuckled heartily and Kurapika blushed.

"Dad!" she finally shouted, annoyed.

"Fine, fine. So, tell me… how far is your relationship with him? We can't have a wedding if you still hate him, right?"

"How far?" the blonde repeated, confused by the question.

"Yes, how far? Have you kissed yet? Have you done _it_ yet?"

Kurapika blushed even redder than before. "What kind of questions are those?" she angrily retorted. There's absolutely no way she'll tell him that they have kissed. "I'm seventeen and he's twenty-six! He's a pedophile!"

"A handsome pedohile." Kairo commented and laughed.

"That's it! I'm out of here." The Kuruta then stomped her way out of the room.

"My, dear!" Mr. Bethel called out. "Go to room 1207. Kuroro's having a meeting there and you're supposed to be there too!"

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Shal." Kuroro called out and his loyal subject was immediately beside him. "Where are the rest of the blueprints of the mansion?"

"Here they are, danchou." Shalnark handed him a brown envelope containing the said blueprints for their meeting.

The Spider head opened the envelope and spread the sheets into the wide coffee table. They were having a meeting on how to steal the scarlet eyes from the heavily guarded main manor of Congressman Tsuboya. The members of the operation are three of his spiders: Machi, Feitan, and Shalnark, and five of the Elite Seven excluding the twins. Gon and Killua were also excluded because Kurapika refused to let them participate in the said operation. Speaking of Kurapika, she was supposed to be here with them once the meeting starts. However, not even her shadow showed up. It seems something happened to her which caused her absence.

Without Kurapika, Kuroro started the meeting and formulated the tactics and plans for the operation. The plan was simple. Using his amazing hacking skills, Shalnark will disable all security systems while Feitan stands guard. Kuroro and Kurapika will disguise themselves as artifact lovers who will visit the Congressman and admire his collection. The rest were positioned at different parts of the mansion and they will knock out anyone who finds out their true intentions. As much as possible, they will not kill anyone. Then, there will be a five-second blackout and Machi and Sato will immediately grab the scarlet eyes from its place.

"Anymore questions?" Kuroro asked after briefing everyone about their duties during the operation. Seeing that no one seem to ask, he stood up. "Alright, that's all. Prepare yourselves for we will initiate the mission tomorrow evening."

Everyone left to set up everything needed for tomorrow's operation. Still, no Kurapika showed up. It seems like he'll just have to summarize everything to her later on. Kuroro noticed that Shalnark stayed behind and he raised his eyebrows at that. He then glanced at his wrist watch and found out that it's already seven in the evening.

"Is there anything else, Shal?" he asked and crossed his arms.

"Danchou, can I talk to you about something? I've been curious about this for a long time now." Shalnark requested and seeing the seriousness in his eyes and voice, the Spider head decided to entertain his all-so-important question.

"What is it?" he asked.

"About Kurapika…" the young Spider started.

"What about her?"

"Are you really serious in marrying her? I heard that you two will get married a week after she turns eighteen." Shalnark continued and Kuroro looked down.

A few moments later, he finally answered. "No." he said and looked up to meet Shalnark's gaze to show him that he's serious about his answers. "I plan to break the engagement after I have lifted the nen curse inside her body."

Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, Kuroro saw the door shift slightly and a shadow passed by. Both Shalnark and Kuroro stood up from their seats and alerted themselves. They stood with their defensive aura waiting for an attack but nothing happened. After a while, Shalnark walked towards the door and opened it ever so slowly.

"No one's here." He stated and Kuroro walked towards him.

"You saw it too, right?" the Spider head asked and Shalnark nodded.

"It was fast but I'm sure someone was here."

Kuroro nodded and turned to his right. Something glittered not so far away from them and he paced forward to pick up the shining object. His eyes widened in shock when he realized that the thing he just picked up was the silver ruby ring that he gave Kurapika.

"Danchou?"

Without responding his Spider's call, Kuroro sprinted towards the room he shared with the Kuruta.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Kurapika panted hard when she arrived at the shore of the beach. She had been crying while running as fast as she can away from Room 1207. She then sat down on the sand and stared at the beautiful pale moon.

_I plan to break the engagement after I have lifted the nen curse inside her body._

So this is what it's all about. She hissed as the tears kept coming. He's doing all this to remove the nen curse inside her? And after that, what? Kuroro's words continued to echo inside her and somehow, she felt hurt inside.

Her chest tightened and Kurapika clutched it. _This feeling again… what is this?_

She hugged her face knees to her chest and buried herself between them. She stayed like that for a while, not minding the cold breeze of the ocean. Her sobs died down after a few moments of trying to compose herself. But still, Kurapika remained in that position. She was glad that her friends and bodyguards are all resting inside the hotel and had no idea that she's still outside.

She hoped it was all a dream. Everything should be a dream, from the beginning of her encounter with Kuroro up to the present. She wished that she would wake any time sooner to stop the pain inside her. It hurt so much.

Suddenly, she felt a warm object draping her over her shivering body. Kurapika looked up and then to her side. She was surprised to see Kuroro Lucifer sitting beside her, arms around her shoulders. She also realized that he just covered her with his dark jacket.

"I've been looking for you." He said as he stared up to the moon too. "You'll catch a cold."

"Why do you even care?" the Kuruta responded sharply. "And I don't need this." She then removed the jacket and shoved it to Kuroro.

The man sighed heavily as he unbuttoned his shirt and took it off. What remained of his clothing is his thin undershirt.

"What do you think you're doing?" Kurapika asked angrily.

"If you don't want to accept my jacket because of your ridiculously high pride, might as well be fair and die in the cold here with you." He replied which made her blush.

"Go die by yourself!"

Kuroro chuckled and took her hand. The Kuruta was clearly taken aback by his action but she did not pull back her hand. The Spider head took out the silver ruby ring from his pocket and slid it again into her empty ring finger.

"There. It finally found its owner."

Kurapika bit her lower lip, a futile attempt in preventing her tears from streaming down again. "Why are you doing this?" she asked and finally pulled back her hand. "Just stop if you're just playing around with me."

"Who said I was playing around?" he smirked.

"Did you plan to break the engagement when all of this first started?" she asked and curled her hands into tight balls of fists. When she heard no response from the man, Kurapika looked up to meet his eyes and glared at him. "Answer me!"

"Yes." Kuroro replied curtly, his eyes cold and calm.

"You bastard! You just love toying me around, don't you?"

"Why are you crying?"

"Huh?"

Kurapika visibly stiffened and she brought her hand to her face. She felt hot wetness trickling down.

Kuroro continued. "Why do you get so worked up about this? Isn't this what you wanted? You sound like you really wanted to marry me for real."

"Of course! You-" the girl immediately clasped her mouth to stop herself from saying anymore further. She was shocked with what she just said and Kuroro was equally astonished to how the Kuruta answered his question.

"Kurapika." He called out as the blonde abruptly stood up and attempted to rush back to the hotel.

But before she can even take her first step, Kuroro was already on his feet and grabbed the Kuruta by her wrist. Kurapika stopped on her tracks and spun on her heels.

"Let g-" however, her sentence was cut off when she felt Kuroro's lips upon hers.

Kuroro kissed her forcefully at first but as moments passed by, his movement became gentler and calmer and she closed her eyes. Kurapika had no way out. The cold wind no longer bothered her for Kuroro's warmth was enough to make it go away. Her arms unconsciously snaked their way around his neck and embraced them tightly. She felt like if she lets go, he'll disappear.

The Spider head also snaked his arms around the Kuruta's waist and pulled her closer to him. He realized it now that he felt attraction towards Kurapika the moment they first kissed. As for Kurapika, her answer to Kuroro's question was not a lie. It was the plain truth which she has been denying for a long time.

When the kiss broke, they both gasped for needed air. Kuroro stared at her eyes and smirked. They were red and alive. It burned with the same unfamiliar emotion that they both felt when they kissed.

"Not a word to anyone again?" he asked teasingly but Kurapika responded by pushing him away from her.

"S-Shut up!" She shouted angrily and ran towards the hotel as fast as her feet can take.

Kuroro only chuckled and bent down to grab his jacket. He bit his lower lip and smiled a sideways smile.

"How amusing." He whispered to himself and walked the same direction as Kurapika. "I actually fell for her."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

**Author's Note:** _Chapter 9! I made this chapter excitedly at school. I have lots of free time so now I can focus on my stories! Reviews people! I want to know what you think! If you have any questions regarding the chapter, just leave it as a review and I will post my answer on the next chappie! Great day! BTW, I will now make chapters with three words as the title. YAY! _

**Next:** _The mission to get the scarlet eyes starts! Kurapika and Kuroro remain the same as before, bickering, arguing and constantly teasing each other. But behind all that, they have become closer and when nobody watches, they become unnecessarily sweet with each other (specificallu Kuroro. Kurapika thinks that he's annoying when he's sweet). Kurapika's just very shy in admitting that she finally felt another emotion towards Kuroro aside from anger and hatred. Kuroro, however, is not that ashamed at all! Hahaha! _


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Hunter x Hunter! I love Kurapika and Kuroro!_

**Warning**_**:**__I turned Kurapika into a girl here because I don't want my parents catching me writing yaoi. Sorry! Don't Kill ME! And expect wrong spelling and grammars since I did not properly edit this! Thanks!_

**Summary:** _Eight months after Kurapika's encounter with the Genei Ryodan, she found her long lost uncle and finally focused in finding her clan's eyes. What she didn't know is that Kuroro Lucifer already found someone who could lift the nen curse. RnR!_

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Chapter 10: Piano and Poison

Phinx seated himself at the corner of Room 1207 where the Spiders and Elite Seven usually hang out during break time and talk about random things. Today is their third day in vacation and somehow, he felt not so relaxed like what others are. The main reason might be because of what he secretly witnessed last night.

Shalnark must have noticed his unusually gloomy attitude so he approached Phinx to infect him his contagious sunny personality.

"It's early in the morning, Phinx. You look like you didn't have enough sleep last night." He greeted and sat down beside the eyebrow-less man with a hot cup of coffee in his hands.

Phinx grunted miserably and buried his face in his hands. Shalnark furrowed his brows at this. "What's wrong, Phinx?" he asked.

"Danchou... and the Kuruta." Phinx whispered.

"Huh?" Shalnark leaned further to hear his voice.

"I saw them...last night... they..."

"What? Did something happen?" the sandy-blonde guy sipped his coffee.

"They...k...kissed."

Shalnark suddenly spit his coffee out upon hearing his comrade's words. The other people inside the room looked at him with confused looks while Feitan and Kenji snickered at him sputtering the contents of his cup.

"Clean that up." Aki ordered coldly and continued eating her breakfast while chatting with Seiya.

Shalnark casted an apologetic and silly smile to the others. Then, he leaned further towards Phinx. "What did you just say?"

"Don't you understand? The two of them! I had trouble sleeping last night! They kis-" Shalnark was able to cup his mouth forcefully before he goes insane and blurt out everything. He looked at the others and found them staring at him again rather suspiciously. The techy guy gave out a nervous chuckle before dragging the sleepless Phinx out of the room.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Kuroro furrowed his eyebrows as he stood and waited for a certain blonde girl to emerge out of the comfort room. Kurapika has been spending too much time inside and it's certainly not something she would do. Her typical morning routine would be wake up, take a shower, and change into comfortable clothes. She does not stay inside the comfort room for more than an hour and as Kuroro looked at the clock, he realized that the Kuruta has locked herself inside for more than two hours now.

Sensing that something must be wrong with her, Kuroro stood up from where he seated himself and walked towards the comfort room's door. He was about to knock when it swung open and his fiancée finally stepped out. What his onyx eyes witnessed surprised him; Kurapika cut her shoulder-length hair short.

"What did you do?" he asked calmly and followed the Kuruta with his eyes as she approached the wardrobe and picked out certain clothes.

"Don't you think that's pretty obvious?" she asked coldly and finally pulled out a polo shirt and a pair of jeans.

"That's men's clothing." Kuroro stated and went back to where he sat, resuming reading his book.

"I know." The blonde replied curtly and put down the garments on top of the bed.

"Mhmm.." the Spider head hummed and looked up from his book. "Are you going to disguise yourself as a boy during the mission?" he asked rather disapprovingly.

"Do you have any problem with that?"

"You're more beautiful with long hair." He complimented which made the blonde blush slightly. "And besides, I was planning that we go on a disguise as a married couple who both love artefacts." Kuroro grinned impishly.

Kurpika spun on her heels and faced him. "That a great idea!" she remarked sarcastically. "So, why don't you go and dress yourself as a girl to make the disguise perfect!"

Kuroro chuckled. "Yeah, fine. That would be nice." He said and decided to play along with her but he will never, ever do that.

With a 'hmph', the Kuruta returned to folding and preparing her things. Last night, though it was very awkward for the two of them, Kuroro had summarized everything that they planned at the meeting to her. She was silent the whole time but she's listening intently. After the briefing, they went to sleep without as much as a good night and refused to talk about anything related to what she had blurted out to him at the beach. Although they both share one room, Kuroro actually sleeps on the sofa while Kurapika takes her place on the bed.

After finishing her work, she went to the balcony to continue her painting that she had forgotten yesterday. Kuroro on the other hand closed the book and decided to follow her. He sat on the same chair like yesterday and there, he kept on reading. A question suddenly came up into his head.

"Do you know how to play any instruments?" he asked without taking his eyes off from the book.

"Why do you ask?" Kurapika replied and dipped her paintbrush on the blue paint.

"Just curious."

The blonde sighed slightly. "I play the piano and a bit of guitar." She replied and recalled the moments when Senritsu had insisted on teaching her how to play. It was one of those fun times.

"That's pretty interesting." Kuroro commented.

They spent the rest of the morning that way.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"I will now start this important meeting." Shalnark declared and looked at the people occupying his own hotel room. "Do you have any idea why I called you here?" It was already their noon time break when he managed to gather all five Spiders for an assembly.

"Where is Danchou?" Machi asked coldly and stared at Shalnark with a hint of disapproval. "We shouldn't be holding meetings without him."

"This meeting is about him." The sandy-blond guy replied which caught the attention of his fellow Spiders.

After Shalnark heard Phinx's story about what happened between the Kuruta and their Danchou, he decided not to jump into conclusions and just share it with the other Spiders to hear their opinions about it. This is a very crucial subject that they will tackle about and it requires greater thinking and right decision making.

"Phinx." He called out and his fellow member stood up to face the others. "Tell them what you saw last night."

Hearing how serious the usually sunny and cheerful Shalnark, all three remaining Spiders kept themselves alert to digest anything that Phinx will say. As the eyebrow-less man talked, he managed to extract different reactions from his comrades. Nobunaga would shout angrily at no one in particular, Feitan's eyes twitched ever so slightly and Machi would cross her arms and close her eyes to ponder.

After Phinx had finished his story, Nobunaga was immediately the one who voiced out what he was thinking.

"That's the most insulting lie I've ever heard from you, Phinx!" he bellowed. Thankfully, the room is sound proof.

"Damn it, Nobunaga!" Phinx replied and stood up. "I know I'm a pretty good liar but this one is different! I've seen it with my own two eyes!"

"Shut up!" the samurai retorted.

"You shut up!" the other stubbornly replied.

"You two shut up!" It was Machi who shouted angrily and stood up too. The two arguing Spiders looked at her shockingly and so did the rest. "If you two continue acting like children, I won't have any second thoughts in using the nen strings on you!"

Both Nobunaga and Phinx gulped nervously and sat back down to their seats. The last thing they wanted is to anger the usually calm and cold girl.

After seeing that no one would burst out again, Machi sat back down, fuming. She gestured at Shalnark to continue the meeting.

"Umm... right." Shalnark stuttered but instantly regained his composure. "What do you guys think?"

"I think Danchou is in love." Feitan sneered. "It was obvious to us save for those who have slow brains." He was actually referring to Nobu but the latter didn't seem to get it.

"That's what I have concluded too." The techy guy replied. "Last night, I asked Danchou if he's serious in marrying the Kuruta. He said 'no' but I just can feel that he's not sincere in his answer."

"What are you trying to say?" surprisingly, Nobunaga was a bit calm when he asked.

"What I'm trying to say is that, Danchou enjoys the Kuruta's company. I mean, he's happy when he's around her."

"Che." The samurai crossed his arms defiantly.

Shalnark heaved a deep and almost defeated sigh and decided to elaborate his point. "Danchou is always putting the best interest of the Ryodan fist. He's very selfless to the point that he didn't mind sacrificing himself for us. He works so hard for Ryuusegai too." The young man paused and looked at Nobunaga. "For once, let him be _happy_." He said the last sentence with all solemnity he could gather up. As far as he's concerned, he had never seen Kuroro Lucifer truly enjoy his life that's why he will do anything for their Danchou even if it means going to hell for it.

Phinx stood up again. "I can't believe I'm saying this but Shalnark is right. The least we could do for Danchou is to not give him a reason to stay away from the Kuruta."

Machi nodded at her comrade's wise words. "If Danchou finds out one of us is against his feelings for her, he won't have any second thoughts and cut his connection with her as soon as possible."

"You're all insane!" Nobu angrily shouted and stood up once again, gritting his teeth. "Shal, you're also close to Ubo! How could you say that? I've been planning to wait patiently until I can have another opportunity to avenge him!"

"Nobu..." Shalnark tried to calm him down but his attempts are futile.

"That chain assassin killed my best friend!"

"And we killed her entire family." Feitan snarled at him, finally deciding to join the heated debate. "Do you realize how selfish you sounded?"

"No you too, Fei!" the samurai angrily growled at his friend. "I thought you're on my side!"

"You thought wrong." He replied with sarcasm.

"Nobunaga." Phinx called out. "Calm yourself, will you? Think about it. We killed her clan, took their eyes, sold them all over the world and sent her on a wild goose chase after us."

"At least when Kurapika had killed Ubo, she buried him as a sign of respect." Shalnark stated and at the mention of his best friend's name, the samurai's fuming subsided a bit.

Machi turned to look at Nobunaga. "The Kuruta also no longer poses as a threat to Danchou's life, remember?"

Nobunaga was finally cornered and Shalnark went over to his place and patted his shoulder. "We also dreaded the loss of Ubo but we have to move on someday and sometime. I guess now is the right time."

The samurai gave out an audible 'tsk', swatted Shalnark's hand away and glared at him. "I'll decide when that right time is." He said menacingly and sauntered out of the room, gnashing his teeth.

I seems like it will be a hard task trying to convince him.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Kurapika!" Kairo Bethel cried out when his niece showed up with her new look. "Your hair! Your precious golden hair! You... what did you do?"

"I cut it." Kurapika replied curtly. "And there's no need to react that way, dad." She added and sat down on the couch opposite Kuroro. The latter was smiling broadly as he silently followed his fiancée with his eyes.

The three Spiders who're involved in the scarlet eyes retrieval mission can't help but notice how their Danchou only focused his attention to the Kuruta who clearly did not notice (or rather just pretending not to notice) his close scrutiny. They're currently at the hotel lobby, silently discussing some final preparations for the operation.

"And what's with the get-up?" Kairo asked once again when he notice what Kurapika is wearing for the mission; blue long-sleeved polo and a pair of black jeans. "Are those men's clothes?" he pointed out.

Kurapika sighed inwardly and looked at her uncle. "It's just for the night." She said but her uncle still pouted slightly. "Dad, that's really childish."

"Alright. Fine." He then sighed too and smiled. "Just be careful out there, okay?" the man turned to Kuroro. "You'll protect her, right?"

"Of course." Kuroro replied and looked at Kurapika.

Feeling his eyes on her, the blonde Kuruta looked back at him. They stared at each other for a few seconds until Kurapika broke the contact by looking away. She glanced at her wrist watch.

"It's time."

Kuroro nodded to himself and turned to the others. "Get ready." He stated, stood up and walked towards the exit door of the hotel. Kurapika followed suit with the other members trailing behind her.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ah! Welcome, welcome!" Congressman Tsuboya warmly greeted them when Kuroro and Kurapika arrived at the politician's main manor. "Feel free to admire my collection!" he proudly said and briefly toured them around the place.

According to Kuroro's gathered information, the scarlet eyes are one of the artefacts that the Congressman hides inside a safe on the third floor of the mansion. All the while, the Spider head listened intently as to how the Congressman acquired the precious relics that were displayed around them.

They had notified the man that they will be coming as 'historians' and artefact collectors and he gladly invited them to his place, feeling proud of his hard work in accumulating the relics.

"Are these authentic? The original ones?" Kuroro asked. The Kuruta beside him didn't seem to look that interested. She's focusing more on the plan they had in her head.

"Of course! Took me billions to buy them." The Congressman replied and pointed at a certain artefact which was actually a book. "That book is the legendary manuscript of witches 10000 years ago. That's the last surviving copy of it."

"Really?" Kuroro asked and pretended to take down notes. "That's really very precious then."

"Yes, yes! Bought it for 4.7 billion zennis."

They walked around a little more until Kuroro popped the most awaited question. "Of all these collections, surely you have one that you're most proud of, am I right?" he asked and Kurapika tensed up a bit.

"Oh yes! I have one that I just acquired a two weeks ago." Congressman Tsuboya nodded eagerly. "However, I do not want to display it here so if you'd like to see it, let us proceed to the third floor."

The three of them ascended the stair case and headed towards the room at the very end of the hallway. As they were walking, both Kurapika and Kuroro sensed something is odd. For a person who values his collection more than his life, the security sure is light and the guards are too care free. The two raised up their alertness when they finally entered the room.

As predicted, the room only contained the safe that has the scarlet eyes inside and nothing else; no furniture nor decorations in it. The Congressman kneeled in front of the safe to turn and dial its combination locks. When the vault door opened, Kurapika's heart skipped a beat.

Right in front of her is one pair of beautiful scarlet eyes. Her hands twitched and she badly wanted to get those relics as soon as possible.

But before anything could happen, Congressman Tsuboya suddenly turned around with guns in both hands, pointing them at Kurapika and Kuroro. He was angrily gritting his teeth while threathening to pull the trigger.

"You think you two can fool me, huh?" he snarled at them.

"Sir, what do you mean?" Kuroro asked, acting as if he was confused by the man's impulse action. Any moment now, the blackout will begin and things will not go well if the Tsuboya is acting this way.

"The person who gave me these scarlet eyes tipped that two people might come and steal them away from me!" he shouted angrily. "And I reckon it's you two! Guards!"

Swarm of armed men in black suit entered the room and pointed high calibre of guns at the two. Kuroro looked at Kurapika who was readying herself to summon her chains. Then, he took a quick glance at his wrist watch and smiled.

_Three..._

"I will never let you get away with this." Tsuboya barked.

_Two..._

Kurapika finally summoned her chains that were clanking wildly on her right hand.

_One..._

"Fire!"

The moment the Congressman gave out his orders, all the lights in the entire manor died out. Fortunately, no one pulled their trigger and the couple took this opportunity to escape. The blackout lasted for exactly five seconds as planned and when the electricity returned, they were already long gone and Tsuboya cried out in anger.

"My scarlet eyes!" he yelled wildly. "My scarlet eyes! Get them!"

The guards inside the room bolted out and tried to chase the duo who're already by the second floor, knocking out the guards who're not there when they passed by a few moments ago.

Kurapika threw her dowsing chain at one man and hit him on his temple very hard which knocked the light out of him. At the same time, Kuroro had his Skill book open and is trying really hard not to strengthen each of his attacks to prevent himself from killing them.

It took them almost a minute in doing so and after the struggle, they resumed their escape. Machi and Sato had with them the scarlet eyes and they're already long gone now, probably meeting up with their team mates as planned.

Kuroro flipped the pages of his Skill Book and finally found the teleportation technique he stole. He grabbed Kurapika by her waist and the later gave out a surprised gasp as she blushed furiously.

"Hold on tight." He whispered.

But suddenly, a guard whom they thought they had knocked unconscious suddenly pushed himself up from the ground, took out a gun and fired a bullet at Kurapika. It happened so fast and the couple did not have enough time to dodge the attack. But Kuroro knew he can do something at the little time given. With his quick reflexes, he managed to turn and exchange positions with Kurapika, receiving the flying bullet in her place and it hit him on his right shoulder.

Kurapika felt his body stiffen a bit when she heard metal hitting his flesh. The next thing she knew, Kuroro took out a needle from his pocket using his left hand and threw it at the man, instantly killing him.

"Y... Your shoulder!" She gasped and drew back from Kuroro's hug.

"It's fine." The Spider head declared nonchalantly and used his nen to cover the wound and stop the bleeding. "Let's go." He ordered but it was too late. Congressman Tsuboya and the rest of his armed men had already caught up with them and pointed their guns at Kuroro and Kurapika.

"Give me my scarlet eyes back!" the man immediately demanded.

Kuroro seemed really annoyed right now for he took out another set of needles and readied himself.

"What are you trying to do?" the blonde asked. "I thought no killing!"

"This is what happens if you leave them alive." The man replied, referring to his wound and took a few steps back.

"But..."

"Kurapika, listen. I won't allow anything to happen to you. I'll keep you safe no matter what." Before his fiancée can even respond, Kuroro quickly delivered a hit on her neck with enough force to make her pass out. Kuroro decided that she had seen enough bloodshed already.

The Spider head gently caught her as she fell and put her on the ground, her back leaning on a wall. Then, he turned to glare at the Congressman and finally threw his needles at one of the man covering him. Kuroro used his teleportation skill and disappeared only to reappear behind the Congressman. He pointed a needle at the man's head.

"Tell your men to disarm themselves or I'll kill you." He threatened.

"Wh—what?"

"NOW!"

Without even waiting for their boss' orders, the guards threw their guns and other weapons on the ground and raised both their hands as a gesture of surrendering. Kuroro smirked evilly. Without batting an eyelash, he threw all his remaining needles at the guards and there were enough for all of them. Each one fell dead instantly. Then, he took a knife from Tsuboya's pocket and used it to slit the man's throat. Blood sputtered all over the place and it was a very good decision that he decided to knock Kurapika out.

After cleaning his hands, Kuroro took out his cell phone and dialled Sato's number. "Sato." He muttered after his call was answered. "Come with Jo and get Kurapika out of here. She's on the second floor." Then, he pressed the end call button.

"Good evening, Danchou." Kuroro looked up and was not so surprised when he saw Hisoka's grinning figure sitting standing a few feet away from him.

"So, you're the one who tipped him." He said and the clown chuckled nastily.

"You're still as sharp as ever, Kuroro." Hisoka replied and looked at the unconscious form of Kurapika. He licked his lips and when he did so, the Spider head furrowed his brows slightly.

"Not here, Hisoka." He said and the jester nodded.

"I see... worried about your fiancée?" he asked.

Sato suddenly arrived with Jo and they stopped on their tracks when their eyes landed on the scene before them. The head butler looked at Kuroro but the latter only shrugged away the man's questioning look. Instead, he ordered them to take Kurapika back to the hotel and he will just follow soon enough after sorting out some things with the demented jester.

After Jo had teleported away, Kuroro turned his attention to Hisoka. "What do you want? I've already fought you."

Hisoka nodded and crossed his rams. "That battle was unsatisfactory, Kuroro. You only focused yourself in stealing my ability and did not fight me with all you've got."

"Still, a fight is a fight. I'm no longer indebt to you."

"I know..." the clown nodded knowingly but soon broke into a corrupted smile. "But I'm sure there's something that will provoke you into willingly engaging yourself in a battle with me. The Kuruta, perhaps?" Kuroro remained silent and Hisoka continued. "Very well then, that's all I came to say. I'll see you around, Danchou."

The Spider head remained standing, watching his figure slowly being swallowed by the darkness.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The last thing she could remember before sinking into oblivion was Kuroro's eyes, looking at her thoughtfully and the pain on her neck that she felt. Kurapika slowly fluttered her eyes open when she regained consciousness and twitched her head sideways (an action she partially regretted because it immediately gave her a massive headache). She found a glass of clear water and some pills on the bedside table. Her throat suddenly felt dry as she unconsciously craved for that glass of water.

"Kurapika." A familiar voice called out and the person on owns it was immediately by her side.

"Dad..." she called out.

"Yes, it's me, my dear." Kairo replied to her call. "How are you feeling?"

"Where's Kuroro?" It was Kuroro whom she asked about first thing she woke up and somehow, something felt amiss. He was hit and it worried her.

"He hasn't come back yet." Her uncle replied.

"What time is it?"

"Seven in the morning."

Kurapika tried to sit up and her uncle aided her in doing so. She then turned to him. "It's seven in the morning and he hasn't come back?" she asked again for confirmation.

To her dismay, Kairo nodded. When he saw his niece's face, he smiled. "Don't worry too much, my dear. It's Kuroro Lucifer we're talking about. He'll be okay."

The girl could only nod in disappointment. There are so many question inside her it's making her head hurt more. Where is he? What is he doing? What happened to him? Surprisingly, all those questions are all about one important person.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

It's already ten in the morning but still no sign of Kuroro. Kurapika sighed as she entered the elevator to go down and wait at the hotel lobby for him. Somehow, she felt guilty for Kuroro received a wound because of shielding her from a bullet. Though for a man of his level, it's just a small scratch.

As she sat down on one of the couches, Kurapika contemplated on random things, trying to distract herself from thinking about Kuroro.

_Stop it! _She berated herself inwardly.

To make her distraction more effective, Kurapika roamed her eyes around the hotel lobby and noticed something she did not see there before; a piano standing alone near one of the pillars. The piano reminded her of Senritsu and so she walked towards it and decided to play something relaxing. The hotel receptionists looked at her with a smile and she responded by greeting them.

Kurapika took her seat in front of the grand piano and pressed one key. She had been practicing one particular song that Senritsu wanted her to learn but being a beginner in the field of music, the Kuruta only managed to learn and play the right-hand part of the composition.

As she stroke one key, the rest followed. The receptionists stopped working and turned to listen to her. Even if she can't play the left-hand part in synch with the right-hand, the piece still sounded melodious and relaxing. Kurapika closed he eyes as she played the keys gently.

Suddenly, she felt someone bending behind her and played the familiar left-hand part of the composition. Kurapika opened her eyes and saw Kuroro's left hand synchronizing along with her right. Even without looking at the face of the person, she knew it was Kuroro for he was wearing the onyx ring that she gave him.

They silently played the song together in harmony and it was as if they were combined together as one. Playing this piece with him made her feel the same unfamiliar emotion in her chest. Her heart raced when she felt Kuroro's breathing on her neck and the thought of his body pressed closely against hers made her flush. When they finished, the receptionists and other workers who stopped to listen to them clapped their hands in amazement. Kurapika blushed further and turned around to look at the man behind her.

"You play the piano?" she asked and Kuroro smiled at her. "And where have you been?"

"Looting the whole mansion." The Spider head replied.

"And the scarlet eyes?"

"Safe and sound."

Kurapika nodded and stood up. "In that case, I'm going back."

"Were you waiting for me?" Kuroro asked with a hint of mischievousness in his voice.

"No." The blonde lied and looked at him. She then saw that the wound from last night was not yet healed. "Your wound." She whispered.

"It's fine. I can have Machi sew it up for me." He said and walked towards the elevator with her.

Kurapika felt something is definitely wrong. For one thing, she noticed that Kuroro's breathing sometimes become uneven and his skin is hot as if he was having a fever. When they stepped out of the elevator, Kuroro suddenly lost balance of himself and he clung to Kurapika to regain it again. Shocked, the blonde immediately supported his body.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly as Kuroro tried to stand up by himself again.

"It's nothing. I just felt suddenly dizzy." The man admitted and Kurapika chuckled inwardly at the thought that only dizziness can make the strong Spider head stumble like that. But then, she reprimanded herself for she was supposed to help him.

"I'm calling the doctor after arriving in the room." She declared but Kuroro shook his head.

"No. I don't need a doctor." He whispered.

"Just shut up, will you?" Kurapika retorted, annoyed. "It might be that-"

But the blonde Kuruta was not able to finish her sentence for Kuroro already gave away and collapsed weakly on the ground.

XXXXXXXXXX

**Author's Note**_**:**__ Yes! Chapter 10! Finally! Haha! Thank you so much my dear readers for your reviews! Special thanks to __**whitypearl **__for offering to translate this fic in Indonesian! And also to __**Harco8059**__ for reading this fic from the beginning until now. And some of you requested a bonding between the Spiders and Kurapika. That bond will be slowly developed in beginning from this chapter. And also, I included Hisoka for __**Yuthero**__ because he will also play some key parts in the fic._

**Trivia:** _The piano piece that Kuroro and Kurapika played is the piano version of Arashi's __**"One Love". **__Here is the link in youtube if you want to listen to it:_** www **(dot)** youtube** (dot)** com/watch?v=xic5XEjiDMI**

**Next:** _What happened to Kuroro? How will our couple spend the rest of their vacation days in Lanikai? _


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Hunter x Hunter! I love Kurapika and Kuroro!_

**Warning**_**:**__I turned Kurapika into a girl here because I don't want my parents catching me writing yaoi. Sorry! Don't Kill ME! And expect wrong spelling and grammars since I did not properly edit this! Thanks!_

**Summary:** _Eight months after Kurapika's encounter with the Genei Ryodan, she found her long lost uncle and finally focused in finding her clan's eyes. What she didn't know is that Kuroro Lucifer already found someone who could lift the nen curse. RnR!_

XXXXXXXXXXXX

We enjoy warmth because we have been cold. We appreciate light because we have been in darkness. By the same token, we can experience joy because we have known sadness.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Chapter 11: Not Too Late

It was their fourth day in Lanikai Beach Resort and instead of going out and playing under the sun, swimming in the cool waters and eating refreshing tropical fruits, a certain blonde Kuruta waited patiently by the corner of the room as the doctor examined Kuroro's lying figure intently.

After the Spider head passed out, Kurapika managed to carry him to their room with the help of Sato and Phinx whom she summoned. Kairo Bethel immediately called in the best doctor they could find and let him be checked up. The Ryodan members decided against bringing their Danchou to the hospital which confused Kurapika. Nevertheless, they respected their decision and opted to treat the man inside their hotel room.

Kuroro's body is shivering in cold vigorously even though the temperature is warm and his breathing turned into panting every now and then. Finally, the doctor turned to Kairo to tell him of his findings about her fiancé's condition. Kurapika stood up and walked towards the two talking men to join their conversation.

"His fever is really high. I have already given him the medicine needed to subside it. But it seems like it's not just any ordinary fever." Kurapika heard the doctor say. She also experienced having a fever due to her eyes and if Kuroro's cold is not an ordinary one then there must be something that caused it, but what?

As if on cue, the doctor continued talking and he answered the blonde's unspoken question. "It seems like the fever is caused by poisoning. I still have to do further examinations to determine what kind of poison it is to prescribe the needed antidote."

"Poison?" Kurapika asked and the doctor turned to nod at her.

"It must have entered his system through the wound by his right shoulder."

_The bullet! _Kurapika shouted inwardly in her mind as sudden realization took over her. The man Kuroro killed must have injected poison within the bullet he used to shoot them.

"I think I can heal him." She said in almost a whisper.

Kairo turned to her and smiled supportively. "Go on. I hope your holy chain can also absorb poisons."

With a nod, Kurapika sauntered towards Kuroro, sat down on the bed beside him and materialized her chains. Her eyes turned red and it allowed her to switch from materialization to specialization type. The Spider members who are also present watched carefully as Kurapika summoned the Holy Chain with the flick of her right thumb. The chain with a cross as its tip hovered over Kuroro's right shoulder and glowed bright white. A few seconds later, the wound closed up and the blonde drew back her chains.

Much to her and the Spiders' relief, the man's breathing returned finally to normal. Amazed, the doctor went over to check Kuroro's body again.

"It's fully healed." He whispered in awe. "But the fever is still there." He then checked his pulse. "The beating is normal again. I'll inject something to make sure the poison's completely eliminated. This might have some side effects but this is the strongest antidote I have."

Kairo smiled and went over to pat Kurapika on her head. "Good job, my dear."

The girl smiled in response and stood up to go back to her seat. She remained there until the doctor finished injecting and prescribing the needed medicines for him. There was turmoil inside her. For one thing she hated herself for volunteering to heal him. Now the man can live another day only to kill again. But she was also glad that he was saved from the verge of death.

"Kurapika." Kairo called out and went to sit beside her. The doctor already left and so did the Spiders. "Can you stay here and take care of him. The doctor said it will take about two days for him to recover."

She first hesitated but told herself that she has nothing better to do anyway. "Sure. I think I can do that."

Her uncle chuckled. "Try not to kill him in his sleep, okay?" he said and Kurapika rolled her eyes. With that, the man left the room to attend to his other businesses.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Oi, Nobu! Did you see that?" Phinx called out to his samurai friend and put an arm around his shoulders. "I told you she cares for Danchou! So why don't you forget about your revenge, okay?"

"Leave me alone, Phinx." Nobunaga replied and swatted his arm.

"Don't be so hard-headed, man!"

"No matter what you say, I won't accept the Kuruta!"

Shalnark, Machi, and Feitan who are all walking behind the two silently cursed Phinx for being in the wrong timing. Nobunaga's mood plummeted down to the depths of hell when he found out how Kuroro got the wound on his right shoulder. It was from shielding the Kuruta.

"Phinx." Shalnark called out and the eyebrow-less man stopped on his tracks while Nobunaga continued walking towards their break room.

When he was far away enough and out of earshot, Machi gave Phinx a bne-crushing elbow which landed on his stomach. The man doubled up and then glared at the girl.

"What as that for?" he hollered angrily.

"Find out yourself." Machi coldly replied and followed the direction Nobunaga went to.

Feitan and Shalnark only chuckled and then together with poor Phinx, they proceeded towards the break room.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

He felt something cold on his forehead and a gentle caress on his cheeks. He felt someone wipe his sweat away using a wet cloth and he stirred slightly at the contact. The person who did that disappeared for a while and he opened his obsidian eyes slowly.

Kuroro blinked for a few times and tried to focus his sight. Everything came into a hasty blur and he groaned because of the slight pain coming from his arms when he tried to push himself up into a sitting position. His headache worsened even more so he opted to plop his head back into the soft pillow that cushioned it.

"You shouldn't be awake. Go back to sleep." A familiar feminine voice ordered him and he knew it was _her_.

A shadow covered him and he saw Kurapika's hands removing the wet cloth on his forehead. She then went back inside the comfort room and Kuroro heard her turning the faucet. After a while, she emerged out, carrying new basin of water in both hands. The Kuruta put the basin on the side table and sat down on the bed near him.

"I said go back to sleep." The girl ordered again which made Kuroro smile slightly.

"And if I won't?" he asked rather weakly.

"I'll knock you out."

Kuroro chuckled and tried to get up to a sitting position again. This time he was successful and Kurapika gave him a disapproving frown which amused him deeply.

"I'll definitely knock you out if you won't go back to sleep." The blonde threatened as she rolled her sleeves up to her elbow and dipped a new cloth into the basin

"Just give me a few minutes." He replied and leaned his head on the bed's headboard. He closed his eyes and then felt Kurapika's hands on his forehead again.

"Your fever is still not yet subsiding." She whispered and got up. "How do you feel?" she asked him.

Kuroro hummed a little before answering. "My arms felt paralyzed." he said and the Kuruta nodded knowingly.

"The doctor injected something in you to remove the poison completely. What you feel must be the medicine's side effect." She explained and walked towards the wardrobe. She opened them and took out a black shirt. "Unbutton your shirt and change into this. You've been wearing that since yesterday." She stated and turned around with the folded clean black shirt in her hands.

"I told you," Kuroro grinned naughtily. "My arms are paralyzed."

Kurapika stiffened when she realized what she just said. She wanted to slap herself but it was already too late. She just stood there, looking at him.

"Do it for me, will you?" he asked and smirked slightly.

The blonde Kuruta almost rolled her eyes but she prevented herself from doing so and hesitantly approached the sitting man and sat down again near him. The black shirt she carried was put near the water basin and her hands moved rather reluctantly to undo his shirt.

She started from the button and to her dismay, the man is not wearing an undershirt. More of his skin was revealed and the thought of looking away tempted her. Suddenly, when Kurapika was about to unbutton the last one, the door opened slightly and Shalnark poked his head inside.

"Miss, the Danchou's medicines are-." he stopped when his eyes landed on the two figures sitting on the bed. Kurapika blushed excessively when she realized her compromising position with Kuroro. Nevertheless, she continued to unbutton the last one and turned to look at the intruder.

"Just put it on the coffee table." She ordered and stood up.

Shalnark looked embarrassed for he did not even make eye contact with his Danchou and just silently put the said medicines on the table. He thought it was unnecessary to knock since it might disturb Kuroro's sleep. Who would have expected that he'll catch them doing this?

_I am so dead. _He whispered to himself and exited the room as quickly as he can.

When Shalnark left, Kuroro chuckled inwardly at himself for seeing the blushing Kuruta in front of him. Kurapika grabbed the new black shirt and helped Kuroro dress himself with it. The man felt refreshed upon feeling the new clothing hugging his body.

"Thanks." He said in a whisper as the blonde grabbed the used shirt and tossed it inside a bin at the corner. Then, she walked towards the coffee table and looked at the medicine bottles that Shalnark brought in. Kurapika opened one and popped two pills out of it. She walked back to Kuroro and gave him the pills.

"Here. This might help you in the numbness." She said and handed him a small container with the pills in it. "I think this will not be such a hard task for your paralyzed arms."

Kuroro nodded and tried hard to bring the pills to his mouth. Kurapika gently and carefully held a glass of water to his mouth and he drank from it. After doing so, the Kuruta went back to sit down on one of the couches and continued reading a book.

"Go back to sleep now. Your time is up." She ordered without taking her eyes off the book.

"Come here for a while." Kuroro requested.

"What do you need?" Kurapika asked rather annoyingly.

"Come here and I'll tell you." He insisted. "Or else I'll stay awake all day."

Sensing that if she retorts, this will go on and on endlessly, Kurapika decided to just comply with his bizarre wishes and closed the book with a sigh. She walked towards him and stopped a feet away from the man.

"What?" she demanded.

"Lean closer because I will whisper it to you."

Kurapika looked around the room then back to him. "You don't have to keep it a secret. Just spit it out."

Kuroro smiled at her and she rolled her eyes. A sick Kuroro is definitely a royal pain in the neck. She finally gave in and leaned closer to him. The man grinned broadly as he also leaned forward to whisper to her ear.

"You'll definitely make a good wife for me." He teased lovingly and gave Kurapika a quick kiss on her cheek before she can draw back.

The blonde immediately backed away and her hand crept up to her kissed cheek. "You-." she stuttered.

"Alright, I'll sleep now." He declared and slid down under his blanket before she knocks him out for real.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The next day, Kuroro's fever finally died down with the constant care coming from Kurapika. He slept longer than yesterday through the help of the pills he kept on intaking. On the other hand, the blonde Kuruta was not able to sleep properly last night for she kept her attention glued into making sure that Kuroro's fever is not getting any higher, mainly changing the wet cloth on his forehead and checking his temperature.

Kurapika yawned slightly and stretched her arms as she walked out of the room to the balcony. She inhaled the fresh sea breeze and watched her friends bellow playing on the beach. It's such a waste that she can't get out of her room to join them. The girl turned her head towards Kuroro's sleeping form and then approached him to feel for herself if he's better now.

After checking his body temperature for the nth time, Kurapika sat on a single couch that she positioned beside the bed and read the same book from last night. As she flipped its pages to the chapter she last read, her eyelids slowly felt heavy. The girl leaned back to rest her head and closed her eyes for a while, promising that she will wake up after a twenty-minute nap. However, the exhaustion from last night had taken its toll and completely trapped her into an undisturbed slumber.

Time seemed to fly so fast that when Kurapika woke up, it was already five in the evening. She glanced at the bed and saw no Kuroro Lucifer there and her eyes widened in shock. Without anymore second thoughts, she stood up and looked for him.

"Where is that jerk?" she whispered to herself and grabbed her jacket from the racks.

Kurapika was about to open the door when she noticed that the basin she used was already gone and so were the cloths. The medicine bottles are now properly arranged above the bedside table and the glasses she used on him are all in order. And on the coffee table, two cylindrical tubes were standing, each containing one scarlet eye, floating freely inside.

She approached the scarlet eyes slowly, took it to her hand and caressed it gently, careful not to inflict even the slightest damage on it. It's her eight scarlet eyes and she was surprised how fast she managed to gather them up with the help of Kuroro. Speaking of Kuroro, he must have left the stick-it note that is attached on the table. It read; _Thanks. This is for you._

Kurapika suddenly felt something or rather someone moving from the balcony and she shifted her eyes towards it. Sure enough, she saw someone sitting outside and she assumed that it would be Kuroro. Upon arriving in the balcony, she saw him sitting under the moon with a glass of iced tea in front of him, gazing at the ocean. She approached him slowly but it seems like he already felt her presence.

"Care to join me?" he asked without turning around to see who it was behind him.

"Let's go back inside. You're not supposed to be chilling out here when you have a fever." Kurapika replied.

"I'm fine now." Kuroro said and looked at her. "Sit with me, will you?" he requested with a very convincing voice and Kurapika can't help but give in. She sat down beside him and Kuroro put an arm around her shoulders. He pulled her closer to him and to his slight surprise; the girl did not tense up or protest and just willingly let him touch her.

"Thank you for healing me." He said and tucked the girl by his chin. "I heard it from Mr. Bethel."

This time, it was Kurapika who hummed and remained silent. She closed her eyes and leaned on his chest while Kuroro nuzzled his face on her neck, catching a whiff of her unique scent.

"I want to confirm something, Kurapika." Kuroro whispered to her ear which made her shudder. "About what you said two nights ago." As expected, the girl in his arms stiffened a bit.

"What about it?" she tried to make her voice as calm as possible.

"About you wanting to marry me for real." Kuroro continued. "Is it true?"

Kurapika was silent. Being confronted like this by Kuroro made her uncomfortable especially since he's holding her like that. But still he waited for her to answer no matter how long it will take her. After all, he is known to be a patient man.

Finally, with a sigh Kurapika spoke. "If I say yes?" she asked.

Kuroro smiled. "Then you've just made me the happiest man in the whole world." He drew his head back and tightened his hold on her.

Kurapika smiled slightly. "Really?" she felt Kuroro nod and she sighed in relief. The girl slowly turned her head to look at his face fully, especially his eyes. Somehow, she can tell whether he is lying or not by just looking at those mysterious onyx orbs.

Kuroro smiled gently at her and then caressed her cheeks before tilting her chin slightly. He leaned forward towards her face and gently pressed his lips upon hers. The kiss started with their lips barely touching each other and the man wanted to take it slowly, savouring her lips deeply. Until it grew forceful as he slid his tongue inside her and Kurapika gasped at the alien feeling that conquered her. In response, she embraced Kuroro by his neck and returned the kiss with equal fervency that she could muster.

This is the third time they kissed now but this one is different because Kurapika finally realized what that unfamiliar emotion is called. It took her long enough but it didn't matter to her or to Kuroro. Without breaking the kiss, Kuroro managed to slide his arms behind her knees and carried her bridal style. He laid her gently on the bed with him looming above her smaller form.

He broke the kiss and they both gasped for air. But the break was brief for Kuroro bent his head lower and started planting soft kisses on Kurapika's neck, the base of her ears then back to her lips. She shuddered at every contact and the man pulled the laces that kept her outer shirt together to loosen it up a bit. He then let his right hand crawl inside. Being an adult male, the Spider head can barely control his desire for her.

Kuroro was drowning her into his warmth, his breath, and his touches. Both had out their guards down and they let pleasure conquer them.

When things were starting to heat up, a sudden thought entered Kurapika's head which caused her to gasp and push Kuroro away. The man's brows furrowed at her action and backed away a little to give her some space. It might be because it's her first time experiencing this.

_Live… Kura.. pika… Live and… find them._

"I... I shouldn't be doing this." She stuttered and grasped her loosened shirt tightly. Her face was flushing more than is usually does.

"Kurapika..." Kuroro called out and tired to reach out for her but she turned away and quickly got off the bed.

"This..." the blonde whispered, her voice wavering audibly. "...is just wrong, Kuroro." She bit her lip, an attempt to prevent herself from crying. "I no longer know what to do.

He, too, did not know what to do. Kuroro watched as his fiancée strode towards the sofa and sat there, burying her face between her hands. A sob escaped her lips but he continued to silently observe her from a distance, allowing the girl to cry her eyes out.

The cries of her people haunted her restlessly day and night. She thought that killing the Spider head and the rest of his gang will help the souls of her beloved to rest peacefully but things change and her view twisted. She can no longer do it no matter how much she hated the man. Her level-headedness did not seem to help her focus herself into seeking her most awaited vengeance.

"I..." she whispered to herself but Kuroro heard her and listened. "...want to stop. L... like uncle. I want to stop." Kurapika cried miserably and gripped her short hair in despair.

Sensing that now is the right moment, Kuroro rose up and slowly approached her. When he was mere inches away from her, he kneeled in front of the girl and took her hands carefully. Feeling tired of everything, Kurapika let him do so and she looked up to him. Onyx eyes met with deep ocean blue ones.

"Then stop." He soothingly whispered to her and gently wiped away her tears with his thumb. "I know I have no right to say this but five years, Kurapika, is enough. You've come so far."

Kurapika's eyes turned red for no reason and Kuroro took his sweet time staring at those beautiful orbs. Truly, her eyes are the most unique and beautiful ones he ever saw and he admired them. Especially since it is attached to the head of the person he loves. Kuroro planted a soft kiss on her forehead and drew back with a tender smile.

"Why don't you go and take a nap and I'll wake you up when dinner is ready?" he suggested. "You look tired because of looking after me."

At the mention of a nap, the blonde nodded all too eagerly and Kuroro had to suppress an amused smile. She stood up, took a quick shower and then laid herself on the bed again, her eyelids dropping heavily and drowsiness taking over her.

Kuroro also decided to take brief forty winks and lied down the sofa, covering his eyes with his arm.

"What are you doing?" Kurapika asked sleepily.

"Just resting."

"Rest here." She said and the Spider head lifted his arm a bit to look at her. She was pointing at the empty space beside her andHe smiled as he sat up.

"You sure?" he asked and the blonde nodded. With her approval, he got up and also positioned himself beside her. Kuroro rolled to his side and snaked his arm around her waist.

"Don't leave me." She whispered and it was barely audible but the man managed to hear it and he smiled to himself. Kurapika then sank peacefully into unconsciousness. The man sighed contently.

As Kuroro slightly tightened his hold on her, he pressed his body against hers and buried his face into her hair. "I'm sorry for everything." He murmured deeply and also followed her to dreamland.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

**Author's Note:** _Once again, thank you for your reviews. I apologize for updating too fast. It's just that I have so much free time in my hands right now since I'm graduating (congratulations to me!)! University life, here I come!_

**Next:** _Kurapika finally decides to forget everything and start a new chapter in life. But she was barely even taking her first step when another tragedy happens. Hint: "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."_


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Hunter x Hunter! I love Kurapika and Kuroro!_

**Warning_:_**_I turned Kurapika into a girl here because I don't want my parents catching me writing yaoi. Sorry! Don't Kill ME! And expect wrong spelling and grammars since I did not properly edit this! Thanks!_

**Summary:** _Eight months after Kurapika's encounter with the Genei Ryodan, she found her long lost uncle and finally focused in finding her clan's eyes. What she didn't know is that Kuroro Lucifer already found someone who could lift the nen curse. RnR!_

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Chapter 12: Instincts and Memories

Early morning of their sixth day in vacation, Kairo Bethel had left Tesoros because of an emergency in one of his companies in another country. He had to take the blimp with him to go there as quickly as possible and dissolve the problem. He then left Kurapika and Kuroro in charge of everything. They spent the whole afternoon packing and preparing their things for their way home while Sato and Aki were assigned to book the fastest ship for tomorrow since no blimp will be available on flight.

After finishing packing up her things, Kurapika had decided to take one final stroll on the beach since she was not able to enjoy her vacation properly because of the happenings a few days ago. Kuroro on the other hand was away and she didn't give a damn where he went. It is not her responsibility to monitor his every movement. As she walked, the waters trickled her feet gently and she sighed in contentment. These are one of those rare moments where she can truly enjoy peace.

"Mornin', Kurapika." A familiar serious voice greeted and the girl spun on her heels. Kurapika saw Killua and Gon approaching her so she stopped on her tracks, happy to see them.

"Good morning." She greeted back and continued walking alongside with the two. "Did you enjoy your stay here?" she asked and both boys nodded.

"It was fun as always! Yuri and Eri are very good swimmers." Gon replied and he continued rambling about his adventures with Killua and the twins. Kurapika listened and chuckled every now and then, amused at his stories.

"Well, too bad it's gonna end tomorrow." Killua whistled care freely as he shoved his hands into his pockets and kicked the sand; a very Killua-like action. "I hope nothing bad happens to you when we're away." He said, directing the statement to Kurapika who only smiled.

"Yeah. Frankly, I still don't trust Kuroro." Gon added and walked faster.

Kurapika suddenly stopped on her tracks and so did her friends. They gave her a puzzled expression and she in turn looked at them seriously.

"I've decided something and I think I need to hear your opinions." She spoke carefully and both boys noted the importance it held for her. "I..." she started rather hesitantly. "I no longer wish to avenge my clan."

With her words, Killua and Gon's eyes widened a bit and they both looked at her surprisingly. Kurapika looked down and waited for her friends' responses. She expected them to not accept her decision but to her surprise, she heard Gon shouting happily. Kurapika looked up again and saw their grinning visages.

"Finally!" Gon yelled happily and raised both hands. "That means you'll never chase after the Ryodan, right?

"Gon, you idiot!" Killua annoyingly landed a punch on his best friend's head and Gon gave out an innocent 'Ow'. "She doesn't need to chase after the Ryodan because they're already here with her." He explained. "Anyway, that's a very good decision, Kurapika." He said as he turned his head to her. Kurapika smiled and felt grateful for her friends' understanding.

What happened last night helped her in making this difficult decision and she thanked the people who inspired her inwardly. There was her uncle who tried his best to make her realized that the path she's taking is a dangerous and inappropriate one. Then there's Gon, Killua, and Leorio who, along with her uncle, wanted her to live a life that the past does not influence. Her Aunt Zali, for giving her a gift in the form of her nen curse and also to the Elite Seven who're ready to sacrifice themselves for her. And finally, Kuroro Lucifer for making her grasp the reality that there's more to life than just hatred and revenge.

Yes, it's him whom she's the most grateful with next to her uncle.

"So, if you no longer want to kill the Spiders, what will you do to Kuroro Lucifer?" Gon suddenly asked, making the girl tense up in astonishment. He scratch his head from the earlier abuse he received from the young Zoldyck.

"Marry him, of course." Killua responded with a mischievous grin. "Right, Kurapika?"

The Kuruta blushed a bit but decided to answer his question with forced sternness. "I find the thought of marrying him to be rather advantageous on my part." She said and continued walking. "For one thing, our contract says that he and his Spiders will try not to kill in every operation they conduct. And also, he will aid me in finding the remaining scarlet eyes and help dad in his business."

Killua whistled and nodded. "Right."

"Eh? Is that what you really feel, Kurapika?" Gon asked.

"What do you mean?" the blonde asked back in confusion.

"Are you really marrying him only for those reasons or is there something else?"

Killua suddenly laughed heartily at his friend's bluntness and Kurapika can't stop herself from blushing even more. "That's right." She declared forcibly. "Those are the only reasons and nothing else."

And with that, she made her way back to the hotel, leaving a cracking Killua and a puzzled Gon behind. The latter turned to Killua thoughtfully. "Did I say something wrong?" he asked rather worriedly and his friend tried to compose himself before answering.

"No. You said just the right thing."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Five in the evening of their seventh day, Kurapika, Kuroro and the rest boarded the fastest ship Sato and Aki found then settled themselves inside their personal cabins. Since Kurapika was in charge along with her fiancé, she declared that she wanted a _single_ room. Kuroro did not comment on her decision and just let her do what she wanted.

At exactly six, the ship departed the port and now treaded the vast blue ocean. The stars are out, indicating that the weather will be great tonight. Kurapika had decided to go to the upper deck and refresh herself with the cool night sea breeze.

She sat on a chaise that was there and rested herself, closing her eyes as she did so. It has been a habit of hers to be always alone whenever she wanted to. The trip back home will be one and a half day and thankfully, she won't be bored out of her mind. Simply because Kairo left behind a couple of interesting books about art and history of rare artefacts in his room and she's going to read those later before going to bed. Kurapika felt so relaxed that she did not notice someone approaching behind her.

"Mind if I join you?" a husky voice asked and her eyes shifted to her side only to see Kuroro Lucifer sitting on a chaise beside hers, carrying with him two cups of hot chocolate.

"Go on." She whispered and Kuroro handed her one cup which she accepted without a word.

They stayed that way for a while, each contemplating on their own thoughts, letting silence take over the atmosphere. Kurapika sipped her hot chocolate and was refreshed as the warm drink went down her throat. Kuroro only watched the stars above silently until he finally decided to break the stillness.

"Here." His voice was a bit hoarse due to the cold. Kurapika slightly diverted her head to look at what he has in possession. The man was holding up a silver cuff bracelet with her name clearly engraved on it.

She raised her eyebrows. "So, you were gone yesterday morning to buy that?"

"Hey, it took a lot of effort to hide this from you." He chuckled heartily and Kurapika liked the sound of it no matter how much she denies it. Kuroro then took her hand and slid the bracelet gently into her wrist. "Perfect." He grinned.

"You are not yourself right now, are you?" Kurapika asked suspiciously as she drew her hand back and scrutinized her new accessory. She's not really fond of these kinds of things but she'll make an exception for now.

"That's my compensation for taking good care of me."

"Right."

Silence came back again and this time there was a bit of awkwardness mixed in it. Even with a little lighting, Kuroro can clearly see her blushing. It could be because of the chilly wind or maybe because of something else. Kurapika had finished her hot chocolate when they decided to go back to their own rooms to rest.

As they were both walking down the hallway, they suddenly heard a loud explosion followed by the whole boat shaking strongly as if an earthquake hit them. Shocked by the abrupt events, Kurapika lost her balance and stumbled only to be caught by Kuroro.

"Are you okay?" he asked after the commotion but the blonde was not able to respond when they heard another explosion and its impact on the boat was two times greater than the first one. Kuroro tightened his grip on Kurapika's waits, careful not to let go of her while the later clung onto him firmly.

The next thing they knew, smoke filled the entire hallway, making it difficult for them to breathe. They heard people shouting and panicking from another side of the ship.

"Let's get out of here." Kurapika said as she waved the smoke away from her face while covering her nose and mouth.

"We should find Jo." Her companion stated and they both fought their way out of the thick smoke.

But they were barely out when three figures appeared in front of them, effectively blocking their way. As they got a closer look of the three, they can make out that they're males and clearly nen users.

"Kuroro Lucifer and his fiancée." The man in the middle chuckled maliciously as he eyed the couple. "Just the people I needed to see."

It didn't take a genius to know who are those responsible for the two consecutive explosions. Kurapika readied herself and summoned her chains in an impending battle while Kuroro stood protectively in front of her, his mind and body fully alert.

"I'm Congressman Tsuboya's younger brother." _Shit_. Kurapika swore inwardly as the man introduced himself. "And you will pay for what you did to him."

Without warning whatsoever, the two men standing beside him suddenly lunged forward to attack the couple. Kuroro immediately materialized his Skill Book and quickly found the skill he wanted. A blue concentrated nen shield enveloped them, blocking the attacks of the two nen-users.

"Get out of here. I'll hold them." Kuroro ordered but Kurapika shook her head.

"I'm not leaving you behind." She retorted and the man shot her a disapproving look.

"Don't be stubborn and just go."

"You're stubborn yourself!"

Kuroro grunted. "Fine." He then flipped the pages of his skill book as quick as he can. The shield disappeared but the teleportation skill was ready and they both teleported back to the upper deck to find the others. They successfully escaped for their opponents didn't have enough time to catch up to them.

Upon arriving, the chaos was indescribable. There was fire consuming everything in its path and the passengers panicked as some of them jumped in the ocean to avoid being caught on fire. Kuroro held Kurapika closer to him by her hand so as to not be separated from her.

"Danchou!" a distant voice called out and Kuroro looked around to try and see where that voice was coming from. "Danchou! Kurapika!" It was Shalnark shouting.

"Damn it." Kuroro cursed and it was absolutely the first time Kurapika heard him do so. But now is not the right time to think about such trivial things. They need to find Jo as soon as possible and teleport away from this hell. Kuroro's teleportation skill can only cover a little distance unlike Jo's which was boundless.

Kurapika finally caught sight of the Elite Seven with the Spiders together with Gon and Killua at one corner, clearly searching for them. "They're over there!" She shouted over the noise and they both fought their way against the crowed to reach them.

Sato was the first one who saw and pointed at them. In an instant, they're at their side assisting them.

"Jo, teleport us out of here." Kurapika ordered and her bodyguard nodded as he created a nen barrier. Kuroro refused to let go of her hand as they stepped inside the said barrier.

It took Jo a while before completing the teleportation barrier since there are sixteen people he had to transport. But once it was ready, Jo signalled everyone not to make any unnecessary movements.

But there's one moment in someone's life where one can sense as though something bad is going to happen. One moment where your mind tries to delay time in order to make a single choice that may change everything.

Kuroro blinked. He saw horror in Kurapika's eyes as she was forcibly pulled back by another hand from outside the barrier. His hand that was holding hers a while ago tried to quickly reach out for her. But it was too late. The next thing he knew, she disappeared from his sight, her eyes deep red and calling for out for him. Behind her was the man who attacked them a few minutes ago, a corrupted smile plastered on his face.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"What do you mean we can't go back?" Kuroro Lucifer almost yelled angrily at Sato. "Do you even understand what you're saying?"

He was in the verge of losing himself after teleporting and finding everything to be horribly real. He lost Kurapika and that was the biggest mistake he ever did in his entire life. It was like losing half of him and he won't rest until he finds her again. The thought of losing her _permanently_ lingered in his head but he shrugged it off ruthlessly.There's no way he'll let that happen but considering the situation, the possibility of Kurapika being... dead is huge.

Kuroro shook his head and sat down on a couch as he kept his misery inside him. The moment his hand parted with hers, he was not able to get her back properly. He did manage to catch her again but she slid off his hand and what remained was her bracelet.

It has been a day since that accident. The boat they boarded sank right into the bottom of the ocean and there was no known survivors found by the divers. But Kuroro did not lose hope and he clung into that to prevent himself from losing his sanity.

The Spiders and some of the Elite Seven were out in the sea, doing a search of their own. Kuroro wanted to go back to the ship as impossible as it might sound to look and hope that he won't find her body. Not finding her body means she still _might_ be alive.

"Kuroro-sama..." Sato hesitantly called out and the man stood up again.

"Let's go and help with the search." His voice was surprisingly back to the cold and calm one which Sato was used to hear.

They were about to get out of the room when the double doors opened and Kairo Bethel stormed in with a worried and angry expression on his face. He just came back from a business trip which he cancelled after hearing the news.

"What the hell happened?" he bellowed his question angrily to no one in particular. "Where is Kurapika? I want to see for myself that what I heard is not true! Where is she?"

Kuroro and Sato silently looked at the fuming man. Kairo then turned to Kuroro. "Explain everything, Kuroro." He ordered. With a nod, Kuroro narrated everything that happened in the boat.

As Kairo listened, he gritted his teeth in anger and his eyes turned bloodshot red. "Get the commander of the coast guard on the phone, now!" he commanded and Sato hurriedly dialled a certain number on the telephone and gave the receiver to Kairo. After talking to the person on the other line, he handed the telephone back to Sato and gave him new orders. "Call anyone you think that can help in the search."

Kuroro stood up from where he was seated and walk out of the room, deciding that he should go back again and try to search the nearby islands in hopes of finding her there.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Days turned into weeks and weeks stretched into months but still no Kurapika was found. However, Kuroro together with the others did not lose hope. They continued searching even when the probability was low. They refused to believe she's gone when her body or any of her belongings was not found. Kuroro still held to the bracelet since he will return it to her once she's been found. It's the only thought that kept him calm and sane.

One morning, an unexpected guest arrived at the Bethel sea side mansion and it was no other than Michael Fuji, the Virus Hunter. Kuroro furrowed his brows upon seeing him.

"Good morning, Mr. Bethel, Kuroro." He greeted a bit hesitantly.

"What's so good about the morning?" Kuroro sarcastically and a bit annoyingly remarked. True, nothing is good about everything.

Michael chose to ignore the man's statement and continued. "My father wishes to deliver this message to you." He addressed Kairo Bethel carefully. "It's time to stop the search."

The Kuroro, the Elite Seven, and the Spiders shot him cold glares and did not say anything except the former.

"What do you mean?" Kuroro asked almost angrily.

"It means the search is hopeless." The doctor replied harshly at his question. "Because we found these yesterday night." He took out from the messenger bag he's carrying a plastic bag containing a folded shirt with dry blood in it and Kuroro recognized that shirt. It was the clothing Kurapika wore that night. "And it has been two months now but the divers still did not find any survivors. Face it, she's dead."

The next event took place so fast that Michael was not able to process them in his mind properly. Kuroro had briskly walked towards him and landed a strong punch right across his cheek. The occupants of the room gasped upon seeing the scene before them. The man stumbled and fell on the floor hard as Kuroro loomed over him. His eyes were looking down at him, blazing dangerously.

"Who gave you the right to say those things? A mere shirt?" The Spider head angrily shouted at the doctor, completely losing his more rational side. "So what if it belonged to Kurapika? That doesn't mean she's..." he trailed off.

"Danchou..." Shalnark, as always, took the initiative to try and stop their leader.

"Stop this instant the two of you." Kairo Bethel finally stepped in.

"Forget it." Kuroro walked out of the room still fuming.

After he left, Sato rushed over to Michael's side and helped him stand up. His lower lip was bleeding caused by Kuroro's hit a while ago. The rest of the Spiders shared the same sentiments with their Danchou and left the room, disgusted of Michael.

"I think I need to leave." Michael stated and took the plastic bag then gave it to Kairo Bethel. "This should be rightfully returned to you." He said and with that, he left without anymore words.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

In a certain part of York Shin city stood the Fuji Memorial Hospital. It is one of the most prestigious and the most effective hospital listed in the whole world. Right now, in one of its first class hospital rooms, lies a certain conscious blonde girl who was known to others as Kurapika Bethel. She lied on her bed in an inclined position and watched the night lights of York Shin peacefully through her glass windows. There was bondage around her head, an indication that she suffered severe head concussion.

The doors opened and a certain brunette doctor came in with a smile on his handsome face. "Hey, you should be asleep right now."

"Michael." Kurapika greeted and smiled back. "How was your trip to Morei?"

"It was tiring." Michael Fuji replied and planted a soft kiss on her cheeks as his greeting. "So, anything new? Did you recover some of your memories yet?" he asked but Kurapika shook her head.

"But you know, I did find out one thing in my dream last night." She said. "I saw a man. Raven hair with mysterious onyx eyes. I don't know him. Do you?"

"No." The doctor curtly replied with a suspiciously low voice. "Try to remember something else."

"Maybe I can but the only information I had is this ring." Kurapika held up her hand and scrutinized her silver ruby ring. Then, she took it off and examined the letters engraved on it. "K.L and K.K... I know that K.K is me but who is K.L?" she whispered thoughtfully

"That doesn't matter right now, Kurapika. If you want to recover your memories, you should try scanning through your head instead of wondering who that mysterious person is."

"I am trying but every time I do, my head would just ache again. It's unbearable."

"Kurapika..." Michael called out to her and the blonde turned to look at him. The doctor leaned forward and attempted to land a chaste kiss on her lips but Kurapika backed away to avoid the contact.

"Michael... even though my memories are gone, I still have my instincts. And right now, my instincts are telling me that you and I shouldn't be doing this because I'm either engaged or married." Kurapika firmly stated and she slid the ring back to her ring finger. "I wish to rest now."

Michael smiled apologetically at her and nodded in understanding. He spun on his heels and left her hospital room. Outside, he suddenly banged his fists into the wall, uncaring that other people and employees are looking at him.

He snapped at one nurse who was the one nearest to him. "What are you looking at?" the man shouted angrily and stomped away from the area, startling the nurse. He realized that even without her memories, Kurapika still chose Kuroro Lucifer over him.

He did not expect for their bond to grow this close in their one week of absence and getaway in Lanikai.

"Just wait and see... she'll be mine." Michael whispered menacingly.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

**Author's Note:** _I HATE YOU MICHAEL! Hahaha! Hating my OC is really fun, ya know! Read and review people! I want to know what you think about this chapter. Every time I finish one chapter, I immediately start on a new one and before I knew it, I can't stop myself anymore!_

**Next: **_Michael can be very psychotic and being a psychotic person, he took advantage of the Kuruta's situation. But Kurapika still refuses his advances and it did not please the young doctor. What will happen if Kuroro finds out that Michael has Kurapika in his possession? It's WORLD WAR III!_


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:**_I do not own Hunter x Hunter! I love Kurapika and Kuroro! _

**Warning_:_**_ I turned Kurapika into a girl here because I don't want my parents catching me writing yaoi. Sorry! Don't Kill ME! And expect wrong spelling and grammars since I did not properly edit this! Thanks!_

**Summary:**_ Eight months after Kurapika's encounter with the Genei Ryodan, she found her long lost uncle and finally focused in finding her clan's eyes. What she didn't know is that Kuroro Lucifer already found someone who could lift the nen curse. RnR!_

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Chapter 13: Ringon Airport Chase

Michael Fuji sat in his office quietly, reading some reports he received about a certain blonde girl's condition who is currently housed in his mansion. Kurapika just got discharged from the hospital four days ago and is presently living in Michael's personal mansion in York Shin. Her condition is not changing and somehow, Michael wished she would stay that way.

He had provided Kurapika some information about herself. He had told her that her family is living in Morei City, she has an uncle and that she's the heir to Bethel Corporations. It was a hard task for her to absorb those facts at first and was hesitant to trust him but after showing the girl some evidences, she finally believed in him. But he didn't forget not to include some specific information like her being a nen user.

Michael chuckled upon reading one report paper. "Dissociative amnesia?" he smiled at himself. "How pathetic."

Everything that happened to Kurapika was part of his plan. Of course, he knew who Kuroro Lucifer was; an S-rank criminal who is wanted all over the world and is chased by all Blacklist and Bounty Hunters. The young doctor can't accept the fact that the woman he loves will fall into the hands of some cutthroat. He will never let that happen.

A knock suddenly disturbed his thoughts and his assistant poked her head inside. "Sir, some fellow named Larson Tsuboya is here to see you."

Michael sighed and nodded. "Let him in."

A few seconds later, a guy wearing a dark blue suit came in with a disappointed frown on his face. "I came here for the girl." He simply stated though Michael can't help but notice the hidden anger in his voice.

"Kurapika is off limits, Larson." He replied.

"I don't care. All I want is to kill Kuroro Lucifer and I can only accomplish that if I hold his fiancée as my hostage."

"Go hire someone else to do the job. I'll give you some money."

Larson banged his fist on his table and gritted his teeth in anger. "I don't need your money, bastard. You said I can have what I want if I'll follow the plan. I've erased her memories for you so give me what I came here for!"

"That's not possible, Larson." Michael firmly stated with his voice sounding deadly and cold. It unconsciously made the hair on Larson's nape rise. "Get out of here before I become tempted to kill you."

"Bastard." Larson replied angrily but then spun on his heels and left the room, slamming the door.

Michael sighed again and continued reading the fake medical reports which Kurapika would demand to see once he goes back home. Yes, everything was planned out well; from the wreckage of the ship down to her memory loss. Even the story of her having a concussion was phony.

But even though it looks as if heaven is on his side, actually it's the opposite for him. Kurapika was grateful for his help but she still avoids all advances he'd done in the past four days and he was never a patient man like Kuroro.

His plan all started when he found out what Kuroro Lucifer had done to Kurapika in the past. He had killed her entire family and gauged their beautiful scarlet eyes out of their eye sockets for their monetary value. One pair can fetch billions and everyone knows that.

Angered, he devised a way to separate the two. He met Congressman Tsuboya's younger brother who is a nen user and whose hatsu is erasing memories of people and storing them inside a certain part of his body. In Kurapika's case, Larson had stored her memories inside his left eye.

There are three ways on how to gain back her memories. First one is for Larson to release the memories and give them back to the victim, second is to gauge the eye out to forcibly free the stolen memories and third is for the victim to see a thing that had made a significant impact in her life.

Michael had been very careful not to let the girl escape. Not that she would want to but it doesn't hurt to be cautious. If ever she did escape, it will be dangerous for him and for her. The possibility of the girl seeing scarlet eyes, the thing he considered to have made a great impact in her 17 years of existence, is low but he'll remain careful.

Larson only wanted revenge while Michael wanted Kurapika. He informed his companion that Kuroro Lucifer is not an easy opponent and without a bait, he won't be able to defeat him. And by bait, he meant Kurapika.

Their plan succeeded but Michael did not keep the end of his bargain and just kept Kurapika to himself.

With a sigh, he arranged the medical papers, put them neatly inside his envelope and walked out of his office to head back home.

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"Two months and a week." Kuroro Lucifer thought out loud with clear disdain in his voice. "It has been that long."

No matter how extensive and meticulous their search is, not a single thing was found that was related to Kurapika except perhaps for the bloodied shirt that Michael Fuji brought with him.

Come to think of it, how was he able to find that shirt when even the most expert divers can't find anything for a month? The doctor suddenly shows up and tells them to stop the search then presents them his evidence. Surely there's something suspicious going on.

Why hadn't he thought about this sooner?

Kuroro stood up from where he was seated and walked out of his room. He proceeded to Kairo Bethel's study room to ask him some information about the Fuji family. Upon arriving, he saw the man smoking another expensive-looking tobacco, his back facing him. He's looking at the beach outside silently.

"Mr. Bethel." Kuroro called out calmly and walked towards his table.

The man turned around and smiled slightly at him. "Good that you're here. I was about to see you." He said and sat on his swivel chair. "I have something to discuss with you."

Noting how serious the man's voice was, Kuroro complied with his wishes and sat down to listen. He will question him later after this has ended.

Heaving a deep sigh, Kairo started. "I actually don't know where to start so I'm going to tell you this directly." He said. "You are free now. You no longer have to bind yourself with the contract we created."

Kuroro furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?" he asked thought he already knows it. He just wanted to confirm it.

"It means that you can choose whether you still want to stay engaged with my niece or just break it."

"Sounds like you really believe that she's gone for good."

Kairo shot him a sad smile and continued. "No. It's nothing like that. I just don't want you to feel responsible for what happened."

The Spider head smirked and then chuckled. "You think I feel responsible?" he asked and crossed his arms. "I know it's not my responsibility because it's my commitment." He simply stated which surprised Kairo.

"You're not the type to give up, are you?" the man laughed a bit. "So, since you still choose to abide by the contract, you have to do something for me."

Before Kairo can continue, Kuroro had raised his hand to stop him. "Before anything else, tell me first everything that you know of the Fuji family."

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Kurapika sat on one of the plush couches of the living room and continued scrutinizing her silver ruby ring silently. No matter at what angle she looked at it, a feeling of familiarity is always surging up inside her chest. It's like the ring is telling her that it's one of the most important part of her life. She then pondered about the carvings inside the ring.

"I wonder who K.L. is." She whispered to herself and leaned back to the couch to relax. "It has been two months now. When will I be able to see this uncle of mine?" Kurapika asked no one in particular.

Michael had told her that after she had recovered her memories, he will return her to her family who is currently residing in Morei City. But she didn't know if that day would ever come. Kurapika also doubted that Michael had no idea who K.L. is. If she's either engage or married to K.L., then he would have known and just tell her. After all, he had claimed to be her best friend.

But she suspected that he won't, considering the fact that he had been blatantly hitting on her, trying to win her over. She didn't understand it but one thing is for sure; she is disgusted.

Speak of the devil.

"Good evening, Kurapika. Have you had dinner yet?" Michael asked as he entered the area carrying with him another set of medical papers inside an envelope. "Here are the papers you asked for." He then handed them to the sitting girl.

"Thanks." Kurapika replied and took it from him. "And I've already had my dinner." She continued while opening the envelope to read the papers.

"Really? Me too." The doctor sat beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. The contact made Kurapika squirm slightly and she immediately stood up, pretending to read the papers as she did so.

"I think I should read this in my room." The blonde declared but before she can even take one step, Michael had grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to the couch. She then found herself with a pair of strong arms wrapped around her.

"Stay here with me." He whispered rather seductively which made Kurapika tense up.

"Mike, I really don't have time for this kind of thing." She insisted with a hint of irritation.

"Why not?" Michael asked and nuzzled his face on the crook of her neck. "You're single, I'm si-"

"I'm engaged." Kurapika replied and tried to remove one of his arms around her. "Or married." She had been repeating that 'fact' to him for how many times now.

"You're seventeen and too young for marriage."

"Perhaps I'm engaged then." She firmly said.

"You're still not sure about that."

"And you are?"

Michael tightened his embrace on her which made the girl wince a bit. "Yes."

Kurapika finally had lost her patience and forcibly struggled out of his grasp. "Michael, let me be for once. I needed some time to think too, you know."

The man's face darkened dangerously and he too stood to her eye level. "Think?" he snarled at her. "What is there to think about, huh, Kurapika? About who K.L. is? Why should you think about him when I'm right here in front of you? Don't treat me like I'm invisible!"

"I'm not, Michael!" The blonde retorted angrily, losing her temper bits by bits. "I just don't feel that way about you! How many times should I reject you until that fact penetrates you head?"

"No." Michael's voice was commanding and firm. "You will no longer reject me."

The doctor suddenly grabbed back her wrist and with enough force, pinned her down the carpeted floor. Kurapika groaned out of pain as her back collided on the concrete ground and she closed her eyes. But she soon opened them when something overshadowed her. Michael's angry visage greeted her and seems like her heart skipped a beat.

"Michael..." she stuttered. "Get off. You're hurting me." Her struggle against his grip is futile. The man was probably ten times stronger than she is.

"Kurapika..." Michael whispered passionately and then bent down to forcibly take her lips.

The blonde's eyes widened in shock and it took her a few moments before the whole event processed in her head. She bit his lower lip hard and the man drew back instantly upon feeling the pain. The slight cut that Kuroro gave him reopened again and he chuckled at it.

"Let go of me, you bastard!" Kurapika demanded and tried to struggle out of his grasps again.

Michael pretended he did not hear her command and bent down again to place revolting kisses on her neck and other sensitive parts of her body. Kurapika gasped and, with great effort, resisted in every way she can. The next thing she knew, Michael had held both her wrists above her with one strong hand and he used the other to take off his shirt.

"Michael... stop this please!" she almost begged as tears ran down her cheeks. Somehow, she felt like this is not the first time someone tried to violate her. The memory was vague but she knew that the raven-haired man she dreamt of nights ago came and saved her. Kurapika hoped it will be the same right now.

Michael breathed into her delicate skin and then took her lips aggressively again. "Why, Kurapika?" he managed to whisper between kisses. "Why can't I have you? Have you fallen for Kuroro that hard?"

But suddenly, after saying those words, the young doctor had ceased kissing her and let go of her wrists. Kurapika took this opportunity to push him away from her as hard and as far as she could. She scrambled to her feet and then took a few steps back to lengthen the distance between the two of them. She panted hard and beads of sweat started to form on her forehead.

"Sorry." Michael whispered softly but Kurapika heard him. "I shouldn't have mentioned _him_." He then grabbed his discarded shirt and walked away from the premises, leaving a horrified Kuruta behind.

Moments after he had left, Kurapika ran upstairs back to her room and upon arriving, she immediately opened her wardrobe, fished out some clothes then stuffed them inside a travelling bag. There's no way she's going to stay one more night in this mansion, recovered or not. After packing up, she opened one drawer of her bedside table and took out the Hunter license card which she hid from Michael. Although she lost her memory, Kurapika is not ignorant about the usefulness of the card and she's going to use it to go to Morei City and look for her uncle. Since Bethel family is famous, it will not be a tough job for her... she hoped.

But before she left, Kurapika opened the laptop resting on a table, accessed the internet and type in the name 'Kuroro' in the search box as quickly as she can. That was the name Michael whispered to her which caught her attention. Many questions quickly flooded her mind. Who is he? My fiancé? My Husband? A Friend?

After a few seconds of waiting, the screen was immediately flooded with pictures and articles tagged with the name 'Kuroro'. But one article caught her attention. She clicked the link and it took her to another website where tons of pictures of what looked like an engagement party was posted. She clicked again on an album named 'Grand Engagement' and was shocked with what was revealed.

Most of the pictures taken were unmistakably her with the raven-haired man she dreamt of standing by her side. Kurapika scrolled down further and read the caption of one of the photographs. The man had a cross tattoo on his forehead which was very peculiar.

_Kurapika Bethel gets engage to Kuroro Lucifer. _She read.

Putting on a hat, eyeshades and a scarf, Kurapika then carefully slipped out of the mansion, took a taxi cab and rode towards the airport.

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The blimp landed at exactly 9:30 in the evening in the York Shin Ringon Airport and Kuroro Lucifer stepped out of the airship with his hand coolly shoved into his pockets. Behind him, Shalnark, Machi, and Sato followed closely while watching their surroundings carefully. He was wearing a simple white polo shirt and black pants with his hair down and his tattoo cross covered by a bandage.

It has been ten months since he last stepped in this city and it felt painfully familiar knowing that this is the place where he first met a certain blonde avenger who stripped him of his freedom, killed two of his comrades and made him fall for her entire being.

Kuroro sighed. "Shalnark," he called out and his Spider was immediately by his side.

"Yes, Danchou?"

"Where is the hospital?"

"According to the map, it's in the Public Garden Road D near Hotel Bechitakuru." Shalnark replied and Kuroro nodded.

"Sato, book a room for us in Hotel Bechitakuru." He ordered and continued walking alongside with his companions. He inwardly smiled at himself at the thought of staying inside the hotel where Kurapika successfully carried out her plan to capture him.

After finding out what kind of person Michael Fuji is from Mr. Bethel himself, Kuroro had immediately booked a flight where the doctor's house and hospital is located; here in York Shin City. His gathered information led him to conclude one thing; Michael Fuji is a dangerous man.

He found out that he had been after Kurapika for many months now and only stayed away from her when Mr. Bethel filed a restraining order. Kairo thought that after he returned from his virus hunting, Michael is now a changed man. He was a fool in trusting someone who had killed his own mother and older brother and manipulated his father.

Kuroro silently gritted his teeth. He will definitely question the man as to how he managed to acquire that shirt.

"Once we get there, find him immediately." He continued and received nods from the people behind him.

There was already a car waiting for them patiently just outside the airport but Kuroro opted to take a cab instead. He knew that the car was sent by the mafias who are trying to gain favour since they came in as the Bethel family representatives.

As he was waiting for a taxi to pass by, he noticed two suspicious men walking briskly and from the looks of it, they are looking for something or someone. Kuroro had turned his head back to the road when suddenly, someone bumped into him hard. He looked at his side so did his three companions.

"Sorry." The mysterious person wearing a dark-coloured hat, black shades and a scarf covering almost half of her face said. Kuroro's eyes widened as he stared at the figure who backed away a little and resumed walking towards entrance of the airport. But what surprised him more is to see the familiar silver ruby ring on her ring finger.

_That ring!_ He shouted in his head and grabbed that person's hand unconsciously.

The girl suddenly gasped and turned around. Her hat got blown away by the wind and her scarf loosened, falling down to her neck and revealed her entire face. Even without seeing her eyes that were covered by the shades, Kuroro knew it's _her_.

"There she is!" a man suddenly shouted and the two of them turned to the other side. The Spider head saw the two suspicious men charging at them.

"Oh, shit." The blonde girl cursed and swatted Kuroro's hand away, effectively releasing her from his hold. She then bolted as fast as she could towards the airport entrance.

"Wait!" Kuroro shouted and ran after her. His other three comrades followed suit for they have finally found the person they have been looking for; Kurapika Bethel.

"Don't let her get away!" one of the men yelled and the people in the airport slightly panicked.

Kuroro ordered Machi to hold back the pursuers and the later complied as she stopped on her tracks to fight off the two. However, more men in dark suit appeared, shouting at each other not to let Kurapika get away.

The Spider head furrowed his brows in bewilderment. He wondered why Kurapika chose to run away from them. And not only that, she seemed afraid and shocked upon seeing him.

He will soon find out the reason after catching up to her amazing speed fuelled by adrenaline rush.

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Kurapika panted hard as she ran aimlessly away from the men chasing her. She turned right then left, avoided obstacles in her way and fought through the thick crowds. If only that annoying guy did not blow her cover, she wouldn't be in this situation right now. And by annoying guy, she meant the one who had grabbed her hand a while ago for no reason.

"Damn him." She cursed and turned right for the nth time. To her dismay, it was a dead end. "Oh great."

She was about to turn back and find another route when a familiar hand suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side. The darkness covered her, effectively hiding her whole body. That hand gagged her mouth, making it hard for her to shout for help. A few seconds later, the men who were chasing her arrived at the area where she disappeared.

"You said she came here!" one man angrily yelled at his companion.

"I did! I saw her!" the other retorted.

"Well? Where is she you dunderhead!"

Then, after exchanging a few more insults, the two finally opted to search another place. Kurapika sighed in relief but then struggled to get out of the mysterious person's grasp. Her efforts were effective since she was immediately released. She then stepped out of the hidden dark hallway and turned to look who her mysterious hero is. To her surprise, it was the same raven-haired man who put her in this position.

"Wha- You?" the blonde almost snarled at him and the man raised his brows.

"Is that the way you should thank the person who helped you?" he asked, amused.

"Who are you anyway?" Kurapika asked back which made the man's brows furrow in confusion.

"You don't know me?" it was more like a statement than a question and the girl shook her head.

"Whoever you are, thank you for helping me but I have no time to entertain you." She walked away rather carefully from him and made sure no guards are looking for her in the area.

"Where are you going, Kurapika?"

At the mention of her name, Kurapika tensed up and spun on her heels to look at him. "To Morei City. And how did-."

"What happened to you?" the man interrupted, asking her with a worried voice.

"Who the hell are you anyway?"

"Kuroro Lucifer." Kuroro said and did not miss how her eyes widened in uncontained shock. She almost gasped but covered her mouth to prevent her from doing so.

"You're who?"

"Kuroro Lucifer." The Spider head generously repeated for her.

"So, you're my fiancé!" Kurapika almost shouted in joy and it took Kuroro aback. She must have not recognized him at first glance because he had covered his cross tattoo and is wearing his hair down.

"Now answer my question. What happened to you?" he asked seriously after recovering from his mild shock.

"Well," the girl bit her lip hesitantly. "I was told that I have a post-traumatic amnesia cause by severe head concussion."

"Who told you?"

"Michael Fuji."

Kuroro then clenched his fists that the knuckles turned white. He fished out his phone and dialled Sato's number. After his call was answered, he ordered the head butler to reserve another flight back to Morei City immediately. All the while, Kurapika watched him do so.

He then turned to her. "Let's go back to Morei." He whispered and took her hands. "Everyone misses you."

Kurapika nodded and allowed the man to intertwine his fingers with hers. Even though this is the first time he had showed himself up, she felt like she can trust him completely. The man's warmth slowly infected her cold body and she liked the feel of it.

_"I must have loved this guy so much."_ Kurapika thought to herself, referring to her other self whose memories are still intact.

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**Author's Note**_: Wew! Chapter 13! Don't forget to review, my dear friends! I love you all! Sorry if Kurapika and Kuroro are a bit OOC in this chapter… *insert silly grin here*Wahh! And sorry for the mistake in chapter 12! They're drinking hot chocolate and not coffee! Tee hee!... O.o... ._

**Next: **_Kurapika finally returned to the Bethel seaside mansion. Kuroro confronts Michael to strangle out some answers on how to make Kurapika regain her memories._


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Hunter x Hunter! I love Kurapika and Kuroro!_

**Warning**_**:**__I turned Kurapika into a girl here because I don't want my parents catching me writing yaoi. Sorry! Don't Kill ME! And expect wrong spelling and grammars since I did not properly edit this! Thanks!_

**Summary:** _Eight months after Kurapika's encounter with the Genei Ryodan, she found her long lost uncle and finally focused in finding her clan's eyes. What she didn't know is that Kuroro Lucifer already found someone who could lift the nen curse. RnR!_

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Chapter 14: The Unexpected Happens

"She brought this with her." Kuroro Lucifer sated as he handed a plastic envelope over to Kairo Bethel. "Those are medical papers. If you study them closely, you'd think something is definitely wrong."

It was early morning and Kuroro, together with the confused Kurapika, arrived in Bethel Island. The servants, Elite Seven, most of the Spiders, and Kairo were glad to finally have their young miss back whom they've have thought to be gone for good. Of all the people, Kuroro was the most pleased. However, he was not completely delighted because of her current condition.

Kurapika had been very reluctant to even try and know them. They asked her the reason but somehow she just won't tell them. She looked like someone who had experienced a very traumatic event that has led her to be very suspicious of the people who claim to know her.

Well, who wouldn't be traumatized when a certain psychotic Virus Hunter secretly hides you from your family and tries to erase your existence in their minds?

Kairo Bethel suddenly gasped slightly and Kuroro looked at him. "Now, here's what's wrong and I assume you already know it." He pointed out and gave the papers back to Kuroro. "The medical records say she had a dissociative amnesia and also there's a record about her head injury. However, dissociative amnesia can only be caused by psychological factors such as stress or trauma."

Kuroro nodded once. "Kurapika did mention that Michael told her she has a post-traumatic amnesia."

"So, what do you think?"

"I reckon that it is a nen user who stole her memories."

"I guess the doctors who created her medical records are amateurs." Kairo chuckled heartily. It has been a while since the Spider head heard the man laugh without stress in it. "By the way, how is she?"

The Spider head smiled slightly. "She's in the living room, waiting."

"Go to her, then. I think she needs you more right now."

Kuroro was a bit taken aback but then nodded slightly, stood up from his seat and walked out of the study room to see the woman he had missed so much.

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Kurapika was bored; bored of waiting for a certain raven-haired man to explain some things to her. She had been sitting in the living room, reading, watching television, and thinking of things to distract herself. When she arrived this morning, a blond middle-aged man with striking deep blue eyes introduced himself as her Uncle Kairo and hugged her tightly that she almost felt her bones crushed. She also met the Elite Seven and the members of the Spiders who were all happy to have her back except for a certain samurai who had a palm tree as his hair.

A few more seconds of lingering, Kurapika finally stood up and decided to do some explorations. Somehow, the mansion felt painfully familiar as if she really belonged here. Maybe what they told her just now was completely true.

The blonde then caught sight of a large picture hanging above an elegant round table decorated by a beautiful flower vase. Her eyes widened slightly and she can't help but blush. It was a picture of her and Kuroro Lucifer, smiling broadly with hands clasped together. In the picture, she was wearing a simple purple halter neck dress while her fiancé wore a black suit with a purple tie. She scrutinized the picture as closely as she can.

"If you stare at our picture any longer, you might bore a hole on it." A familiar baritone voice stated, surprising the hell out of the girl. Kurapika spun on her heels and saw Kuroro's figure smiling amusingly at her.

"It's you. Again." She calmly said and the man approached her.

"That's our engagement picture." He explained to the girl as he too looked at the photograph and Kurapika nodded in response.

"I see." She said and turned to look at him. "So, what happens next?"

Kuroro also looked at her. He can see how tired she is from last night's chase and trip. She didn't even have a single wink during their flight due to her adrenaline rush. The man frowned slightly at himself upon realizing it.

"First off, you need to rest." He stated calmly. "I'll take you to your room."

"Thanks." Kurapika whispered as she tried to suppress a yawn. "That would be a great idea."

He smiled charmingly at her and opted to put his arm around her shoulders to aid her. But once he did, the girl winced and suddenly pushed him away but not too roughly. Surprised, Kuroro drew back his arm as he stared at Kurapika's face which was donning a horrified and frightened expression.

His brows furrowed. "Kurapika..." he gently called. "I'm going to ask you one more time." Kuroro's voice then turned deadly serious and cold that it sent shivers down the amnesiac Kuruta's spine. "What did Michael do to you?"

"Uh..." She stuttered and was not able to answer his question.

"Just out with it." His voice was commanding and it made Kurapika tremble for some reason.

"Nothing, really. Don't concern yourself with it." She replied and smiled nervously at him. The girl then walked towards the stairs even though she doesn't really know where to go to.

"Well then, if you won't tell me, I'll just go ask him myself." Kuroro threatened and he was actually going to do it. He was certain that Michael had done something to her which she, if possible, doesn't want to bring out.

"No! Hey! Don't!" Kurapika shouted disapprovingly and grabbed Kuroro's arm firmly as he took his first step. "I'll... I'll tell you." She finally said, much to Kuroro's liking.

Her words were effective enough for the Spider head stopped on his tracks and spun on his heels to get a good view of the Kuruta. What surprised him is that she was looking down with what he can make out as a defeated expression while biting her lower lip. He had known that gesture of hers as her attempt to prevent the impending tears.

"So?" he asked and waited patiently for her to answer.

Gathering her courage, Kurapika took a deep breath and finally started. "He... He kind of..." she stuttered and Kuroro's brows furrowed further. "... tried to..." she gulped soundlessly. "... rape me or... something."

Kurapika missed how her fiancé's eyes narrowed dangerously and his relaxed hands curled into clenched fists. Kuroro had never felt this enraged in his life before but despite that, he tried to remain calm as possible outside.

"_I'll deal with him later."_ He thought to himself. _"First things first."_ Kuroro turned towards Kurapika who was still slightly trembling like a scared kitted. He reached out for her as gently as possible, careful not to shock her again. Much to his liking, the girl relaxed as he rested his hand on her shoulder.

"But nothing happened, really. So just let it go." She smiled depressingly at him and Kuroro perceived that she was trying to stop him with whatever he wanted to do to Michael Fuji.

The Spider head chuckled. "That's kind of hard to do, love." He replied which made Kurapika blush slightly. Even without her memories, all her actions and reactions were still the same. "Now, let's go to your room to have your deserved rest."

The girl nodded silently and the two of them walked upstairs. When they arrived, Kurapika immediately spotted the bed and drowsiness conquered her entire body. She sat on the bed and arranged the pillows while Kuroro sat down on the sofa nearby.

Kurapika looked at him. "Aren't you going to sleep too? You look tired."

Kuroro chuckled. "Really?" he asked. "I'll rest when you have slept."

"Huh?"

"Don't worry. I'm not gonna rape you on your sleep." He teased which made the Kuruta visibly flush.

"Whatever." She tried to reply coldly but failed for her voice sounded squeaky and slipped herself underneath the blanket. A few moments later, Kurapika finally drifted off to sleep with a peaceful and relaxed expression etched on her delicate face.

Kuroro stood up from his seat and strode towards the bed and then sat down near her lying form gently, careful not to suddenly wake her up. His hand gently rested on her cheek and traced her fine jaw line and tucked some blonde strands of hair behind her ear. He then bent forward and lightly planted a tender kiss on her forehead; a kiss with so many meanings that he can't put into words.

"I missed you." He whispered softly, stood up and exited her room.

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"So, you two came back here only to tell me that you lost her?" Michael gritted his teeth in anger as he looked at his men who were both trembling. "Useless imbeciles! Get out, now!" he shouted and the two men scurried out of the room as fast as their shaking feet can.

Michael had been in a terrible mood since yesterday. Ever since he found out that _his_ Kurapika managed to escape, he had frantically searched for her high and low. And since he can't rely on his practically worthless men, he would have to do a search of his own. Hopefully, she would still be in York Shin. She can't possibly book a flight to another place since she probably doesn't have any money on her.

The young doctor stood up from his seat and decided to start the search before everything is too late.

"Riza." He called out his assistant and a brunette girl entered the room. "Prepare my car and cancel my appointments. I have to go somewhere." He ordered as he took off his lab gown and replaced it with a jacket lying on his couch.

However, Riza did not move nor respond. She just stood there with her eyes wide open, staring at Michael like he was the most interesting sight in the world. The man's brows furrowed at her actions.

"What are you waiting for? Go!" he shouted but still, she remained unmoving. Michael was about to approach her to shake some sense into the girl when he noticed something sticking out of her shoulder. It looked like some sort of mini antenna with bat wings.

As he scrutinized the object, Riza suddenly lunged towards him with a hidden knife on her pocket. But that puny surprise attack didn't even affect Michael for he dodge slightly and abruptly pulled out the said sticking device. In an instant, the life in Riza's eyes came back. She dropped the knife on the ground and his employer then sent a bone-crushing hit on her neck, effectively making her pass out.

"Show yourselves!" Michael shouted and looked at the door which remained open.

"Sorry, Danchou. The antenna got pulled out." He heard a voice from outside the room.

To his utter surprise, a familiar raven-haired man stepped inside the room followed by three people whom he had seen in the Bethel Island the last time he visited. Kuroro Lucifer stood in front of him, hands shoved inside his pocket and eyes as empty as a black hole. His face did not show any evident emotion and he almost applauded the man for being good in poker face if not only for the situation.

They stared at each other for a while until the Spider head finally broke the silent reverie.

"Tell me how to get Kurapika's memories back." He was so direct to the point that it took Michael slightly aback.

That wasn't the only thing that surprised him. Since he mentioned Kurapika and her memories, he already assumed that she's back to Morei City and her fiancé came here himself to ask him because he's a doctor.

Michael chuckled. "How is she?" he dared to ask which earned some icy glares from the guy's companions.

"Fine." Kuroro replied curtly. "Now answer my question."

"How would I know?"

"Who is the nen user who erased her memories?" the Spider head asked again with a rather firm and commanding voice.

There's no way Michael's going to answer that even at the cost of his life.

Kuroro continued talking. "I know who you are, Michael Fuji." He started as a mocking smirk graced his expressionless face. "You killed your older brother to succeed the family business and disposed your own mother who favours your brother. Then, you manipulated your father to gain all shares that were supposed to be for your other relatives." He chuckled evilly. "How pathetic."

The young doctor's face instantly turned bitter and he clenched his fists. "And who do you think you are, Kuroro Lucifer? You're just some lowly criminal who only wanted money from the Bethel family. You are also manipulative if you didn't notice."

"You little—" an eyebrow-less man almost cursed if not for Kuroro ho raised his hand to stop him.

"If you won't give me the answers, I will have to force it out of you."

"Let me see you try then."

After Michael had said those words, he released his aura using Ten and then transformed that aura into some sort of blue wisps which then charged quickly at Kuroro and his comrades. Following his instincts, Kuroro dodge the wisps and when those tiny things hit something solid, an explosion was immediately triggered.

Due to the small room, the Spider head was not able to counter properly and smoke filled the entire premises, making it difficult to see. He used gyou in order to see Michael with his aura enveloping him. Beside him, Shalnark was battling an impending coughing fit for he covered his mouth and nose with his hands.

"Shal, take that girl out of here." He ordered his Spider.

"Yes, sir." Shal almost choked as he instantly went over to Riza's side and carried her out of the room as fast as he can.

Resuming, his exploration, Kuroro finally spotted his target and he, too, took out a set of poisoned needles and threw them at the unsuspecting Michael. However, the doctor seemed to notice it the last second and he was able dodge the weapons.

He then appeared right in front of Kuroro, wielding a sharp sword and he used it to try and strike him. The Spider head quickly fished out another needle and used it to block the sword, effectively preventing it from slicing his face.

"He's a good transformation type." Kuroro mused to himself. He shouldn't be underestimating a One-Star Virus Hunter.

"Have you seen Kurapika's scared look when I tried to ravish her?" Michael suddenly brought up the topic which made Kuroro's eyes widen. "She was so delectable that-" but he was not able to finish his sentence when the Spider head raised his knee in attempt to deliver a hit on his stomach.

The doctor immediately jumped away and allowed himself to be swallowed by the smoke again. But he did not fail to see how the man's empty obsidian eyes suddenly be filled with so much anger and hatred that was directed solely towards him.

When the smoke cleared, the Spider head felt another nen user entering the premises. He knew who the newcomer is but opted to focus himself in capturing Michael Fuji. Kuroro cursed inwardly when he realized that the doctor was nowhere to be found. Machi and Phinx were both astonished to know that their target was able to escape easily even with their wary eyes.

"Damn it! Where the hell did he disappeared into?" Phinx swore loudly as he scratched the back of his head.

Machi on the other hand remained silent but she then fell into an offensive stance, summoning back her strings, when her eyes caught sight of a figure of a certain giggling red-haired jester who was sitting with his legs crossed on the broken couch nearby.

Kuroro sighed as he waved the remaining smoke away from his face. "What are you doing here, Hisoka?" he asked with a hint of disapproval in his voice.

"I told you I'll be seeing you around, Kuroro." Hisoka replied and he heard Machi hiss at him. He turned to look at her. "My, my. Look how delicious you look now, Machi." His perverted statement unconsciously sent shivers down the girl's spine. "Anyway, your target already left the building."

"What?" Phinx bellowed angrily then looked at his leader. "Let me chase after him, Danchou."

"It'll be useless, Phinx." Kuroro replied then shifted his gaze to Hisoka. "Tell me what you know." He ordered him which the jester replied with a thin smile. The Spider head knew that he is here to provide him information but it won't come in free.

However, to his slight surprise, Hisoka directly told him of what he knew without stating what he wanted first. "The nen user you're looking for is Larson Tsuboya." He started. "He is known for his nen ability of erasing a person's memories. That's all."

The clown did not say anything further and jumped down the building. Machi then looked at her boss.

_What's his catch?_

"What should we do now, Danchou?" she asked.

"Find Larson Tsuboya."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The hunt for Larson Tsuboya was not a challenge to the assigned Spiders and Elite Seven at all. In fact, both groups decided to bet on who will capture the man first excluding Machi. The members had pushed Kuroro into betting as well knowing that he had some sort of skill in knowing who will win. To their surprise, he staked 20 million zennies on the twins. The others thought he was only joking so they bet on someone else. Kurapika and Kairo all the while only watched them amusingly.

In the end, Kuroro won and he gathered all together 280 million zennies from the others.

Eri and Yuri both managed to capture their target who was inside a yacht with some social-climbing friends, partying and drinking all night. Fortunately for them, he was still a little sober when they brought them inside the Bethel Mansion.

"You!" the man tipsily pointed at Kuroro. "I'll have your head in a silver platter for what you did to my aniki!" he said while hiccupping uncontrollably.

"Feitan." Kuroro called the diminutive green-haired man. "Get some answers out of him."

Feitan nodded and they all exited the room to leave the sadistic man to his work. Kuroro had never seen this Spider of his do his own interrogation but he's sure that it's not a pleasant sight to behold even for a killer like him.

A few minutes later, they finally entered the room again only to find the battered up form of Larson Tsuboya. Kurapika was not able to handle the grossness of the scene and she almost threw up at the sight.

"Well?" Kuroro asked Feitan. The short man then told him of the three ways on how to return the girl's memories.

"Let's just gauge his eye out." Phinx sinisterly said as he clenched his fists and flexed his knuckles.

"No, no, no please!" Larson instantly begged. "I'll release the memories willingly! Just don't take my eye! Have mercy!"

"You even had the nerve to beg us for mercy." Sato coldly stated. "You kidnapped our Kurapika-sama, erased her memories and tried to use her as your bait! Why should we show you mercy?" Kuroro and Kurapika were both slightly surprised at the head butler's sudden change of personality. He's usually calm and saner when dealing with things under pressure.

"Kurapika." The Spider head called out and the girl walked towards him. He then looked at Larson. "Here's the victim. Now release her memories."

Their captive nodded all too eagerly and concentrated his nen on his left eye. Soon, a green smoke appeared from the eye and floated slowly towards the blonde Kuruta. It then entered her head and then sent a massive headache to the girl. Memories started going back and fro as it flooded her head. She clung unto Kuroro, trying to recompose herself while the others waited anxiously for the result.

"Kurapika, are you okay now?" Kairo asked but only received a painful groan as a response from her.

"My... head... it hurts." She whispered indiscreetly.

She stayed like that for a few moments until the throbbing sensation in her head slowly died down. At the same time, Kurapika gently opened her eyes only to be greeted by Kuroro's.

"Kuroro!" she almost shouted in relief. "I... I remember everything! From the ship to..." she trailed off excitedly and did not realize that Kuroro was hugging her closely.

The man chuckled pleasantly. "Welcome back." He whispered to her. "Now let's-"

But his sentence was instantly cut off when he felt her arms snaking around his neck and he was pulled lower to her eye level. The next moment, he felt her lips contacted his. Kuroro's eyes widened in shock upon realizing that the Kuruta, for the first time, initiated a kiss on her own free will. He did not let this chance pass so he tightened his hold on her and returned her sweet kiss.

But it was not only him who was shocked but also the occupants of the room. Kurapika must have forgotten, in her excitement in regaining her memories, that they're not the only ones inside the room. Aki had to cover the twins' eyes to prevent them from seeing this kind of scene.

When the passionate kiss broke, Kuroro chuckled slightly and gestured for the Kuruta to turn around. And when she did, her face immediately turned scarlet.

Kairo, the Elite Seven, and the Spiders (even the pounded Larson Tsuboya) all donned unreadable expressions in their faces. Kairo was the first one to recover from his shock.

"Well, that was... nice." He said with a slight nod.

"Uh..." Kurapika stuttered and flushed even more. Kuroro can't help but smile amusingly.

"I believe we have some private matters to attend to." The raven-haired man put his arm around the blonde's shoulders and led her out of the room to prevent her from embarrassing herself further.

"That was so unlike you." Kuroro commented when they were finally out of the study room and heading towards Kurapika's own bed room. "And I have to admit you're a pretty good kisser."

Kuroro felt the girl tense up but she only remained silent with her face still burning like her scarlet eyes.

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**Author's Note:** _Okay! So... as you can see... in the past chapters, I've been writing slightly adult stuff. And Kurapika and Kuroro had private matters to attend to... if you know what I mean. So... *ahem*... that's all._

**Next**_**:**__ Kairo Bethel takes everyone out for a big celebration for Kurapika's return! Everyone except our KuroKura couple. They are having a celebration of their own... *insert wink here*._


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Hunter x Hunter! I love Kurapika and Kuroro!_

**Warning**_**:**__I turned Kurapika into a girl here because I don't want my parents catching me writing yaoi. Sorry! Don't Kill ME! And expect wrong spelling and grammars since I did not properly edit this! Thanks!_

**Summary:** _Eight months after Kurapika's encounter with the Genei Ryodan, she found her long lost uncle and finally focused in finding her clan's eyes. What she didn't know is that Kuroro Lucifer already found someone who could lift the nen curse. RnR!_

**Super Warning:** _Slightly Rated __**M**_

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Chapter 15: Valley of Heitun

"Seeing the Kuruta act that way, I guess we have nothing to worry about, right Nobu?" It was Phinx again, trying to convince the ever so stubborn samurai into finally accepting their Danchou's wife-to-be like a family member. He, together with all the Spiders and Elite Seven, are sauntering towards a very expensive hotel-restaurant owned by Kairo Bethel to have a celebration.

Nobunaga sighed. "Just shut up, Phinx. I'm tired of hearing your rants." He said and Phinx shot him an annoyed look.

"When are you goin' to stop acting like a child? Seriously!" the eyebrow-less man threw his hands up in a surrendering gesture with a grunt.

Behind them, Shalnark watched closely at the scene. He also wanted to join and persuade his friend but he knew that it's useless. Nobunaga is like the most stubborn and hard-headed mule he had ever met. It takes a lot of patience when dealing with him.

Shal's thoughts were then diverted to the unexpected event that occurred only hours ago in Bethel mansion. He snickered at himself for no particular reason. Machi, who was beside him, gave him a slightly puzzled look and he responded with a toothy smile.

_Flashback... 3 hours ago..._

When Kuroro and Kurapika exited the room, all its occupants remained still, looking at the door where the couple disappeared into. Their minds all donned the same question; _what the hell just happened?_ The second one to recover was Shalnark who knows how to react quickly in this kind of situation. He stared at Kairo Bethel who also graced him a look.

"Let's go out and celebrate, shall we?" he suggested and the others nodded silently.

They all went out for one sole purpose; to have fun. But the weird thing is that their reason for celebrating is because of the return of Kurapika's memories. However, she and Kuroro were both not present for the said celebration. When Shalnark reluctantly asked the old man, Kairo only smiled at him and said, "They have been separated for more than two months. Let's give them some privacy."

So that's how they ended up now sitting on plush chairs, waiting for their mouth-watering orders. The others chatted merrily as if they have no more worries in the world. Shal can't blame them. He himself felt oddly relaxed after many weeks of stressful events. But he did notice one Elite Seven member who did not share the same sentiments with the others; Sato.

The sandy-blond guy's brows furrowed but he did not dare to go and ask him what his problem is. He had been in a bad mood ever since he snapped at Larson Tsuboya inside the study room. Speaking of him, Kairo had decided to give the man to the authorities. He was also wanted for stealing money from the government with the help of his corrupt brother.

A few moments later, their orders finally arrived and they all dug in happily.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Kuroro sat down comfortably on a chair inside his room with a book between his hands. However, he was not reading for his eyes were closed. He simply wanted to enjoy some peace after feeling turmoil within himself for the past months.

The Spider head have never thought that he would actually act that way during the absence of his dear Kuruta. He was actually scared for a few times because the thought of losing her forever might become an inevitable fact. However, what he feared the most did not come true and although it looked like it did not affect him, inside, he's actually very grateful for having her back.

As he was enjoying the calm see breeze that is entering his room through the balcony, he heard a faint creaking sound and Kuroro fluttered his eyes open. He then saw a familiar figure standing near the doorway and he smiled. Her blonde hair was a bit wet, indicating that she just finished showering.

"Do you need something?" he asked and his visitor shook her blonde head.

"Nothing." Kurapika stated softly. "I just came to say thank you. For everything." The girl blushed slightly and such reaction amused Kuroro.

The man stood up from his seat and strode towards her. He stopped when he was a mere foot away and was glad that the girl did not squirm due to his close proximity. Though, he can see that her blush darkened even more.

"You should thank me properly, Kurapika." Kuroro whispered to her with a hint of mischievousness. "I do not consider that involuntary kiss of yours to be your way of thanking me."

At the mention of the kiss, Kurapika took a step back due to her shock. Her back hit the door that was slightly open and effectively closed it. Kuroro grinned and stepped closer to her, resting both hands on her sides, leaning on the door to trap her completely.

"Wha—what kiss?" she asked nervously, acting like it didn't happen in the first place.

"Wow. Your amnesia must have returned, love." Kuroro teased lovingly, a knowing smirk gracing his handsome features.

Kurapika then saw a predatory glint in his eyes as he leaned closer towards her. The blonde did not back away further for it's a sign that she's actually intimidated by his actions. This damn pride of hers!

"I can't find dad and the others." She said in attempt to change the topic.

Kuroro hummed. "I received a call that they're out for a celebration. No one's here except for us and the servants." He replied to her question.

"Celebration?" the girl asked but Kuroro did not respond and her heart suddenly raced. He fished out from his pocket a familiar silver cuff bracelet with her name engraved on it and he gently slid the said accessory on her wrist.

"There." He whispered huskily and returned his gaze on her.

The man then leaned closer and Kurapika closed her eyes slowly, waiting for what she had been expecting. Their lips met and she did not know what to do. Kuroro is doing it again, drowning her in pleasure that she have always felt every time they do something intimate together. She responded to his kiss and gasped lightly when his tongue slid inside her.

Kuroro backed away slowly with his arms now wrapped around her waist and was pleased to know that his bed is just nearby. When his heels touched the side of the bed, the sudden force sent the couple falling on its comfy surface such that Kurapika was lying on top of Kuroro. But their roles were suddenly reversed when the Spider head broke the kiss and quickly twisted his body. He's now looming above her as he stared down at Kurapika whose delicate face was on fire like her scarlet eyes right now.

In return, Kurapika also looked at his mysterious dark eyes that were gleaming brightly.

"Do you want to do this?" Kuroro asked huskily as he bent down lower. He wanted to make sure that they're riding on the same boat. The last time he attempted this, she broke down into a crying fit. It wasn't that pleasant to remember. And besides, she's still very young and rebellious sometimes. This sort of activity is not really appropriate for her age.

When Kurapika did not reply, Kuroro smiled understandingly and drew back. "Alright. Let's stop it here." He declared and pushed himself up. But when he turned around, a sudden tug on his shirt made him stop on his tracks. He shifted his head and saw the blonde on a sitting position and is holding his shirt's hem. Her action astonished him slightly and he raised his eyebrow questioningly.

"Uhh..." Kurapika stuttered shyly then let the hem go. "Sorry."

Kuroro spun on his heels and sat beside her. He asked her a question that might assure him in some way. "Everything we did back then, do you regret any of it?" It took a long time for the Kuruta to respond to his straightforward question but she finally shook her head.

With a broad smile, the Spider head put a thumb on her chin and tilted them. For the second time, he resumed where they left out. They kissed passionately as they slowly laid themselves on the soft bed. The man then broke the kiss and started planting tender kisses on her neck that trailed down to her exposed shoulder. Kurapika shuddered in pleasure as she embraced his body, pressing him closer to her.

The man drew back for a while and stared down at her. "

Kuroro then took off his loosened shirt and slowly unbuttoned Kurapika's. The next instant, their garments were finally discarded mindlessly on the carpeted floor, leaving them with only unclothed skins. His left hand groped her exposed body while the other combed her soft golden hair. His lips then roamed her, sending shivers to her spine as he made every contact.

He had never felt this intoxicated before. His instincts were telling him to completely mark her as his and never let anyone touch her. His thoughts wandered to Michael who shamelessly laid a hand on his precious Kuruta. Kuroro badly wanted to wash away whatever trauma the bastard inflicted on her through this. Since he didn't like putting his motives into words, he'll let his actions speak for him. And right now, they're saying only one thing; _she's mine_.

Kurapika gasped when she felt Kuroro shower her chest with feather light kisses. His tongue then brush lightly at the sensitive part of her ear and he breathe into her. It was a strange feeling for her and to think that she can only feel it whenever she's with him. He immersed her in bliss and satisfaction.

She was so vulnerable that Kuroro can't help but smile into her milky skin. He brought his lips back to hers and she moaned, enjoying his sweetness and warmth that was slowly melting her. Then, he drew back slightly to stare at her beautiful half-closed scarlet eyes that were burning brightly.

"Let me see your face." He whispered huskily and then bent down again to place a tender kiss on her forehead.

After a few more moments of exploration, Kuroro finally entered her and Kurapika threw her head back when the sudden pain assaulted her entire body. Her back arched as she gasped and tried to endure it. She cried and twisted underneath him as he dug deeper into her. She whispered his name and embraced him tightly as if he would disappear if she doesn't; like an illusion. Pleasure conquered the two completely and it was hard for them to stop.

The connection that Kuroro had badly wanted was finally there and he'll do everything to keep it. He had never wished for anything except for this and it was at long last granted. The man was truly grateful for everything that happened between them, may it be good or grim. And he's sure that Kurapika felt the same. They received the happiness they didn't expect to have in the first place.

The night was theirs to enjoy peacefully together. A thousand emotions were unlocked that night and together, they drowned themselves into them without worries or uncertainties.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Earlier the next morning, Kairo along with the Spiders and Elite Seven finally arrived after a one-night stay in the hotel-restaurant. They enjoyed it very much except for the twins who're tucked into to bed early and also Sato. After having their dinner, the men drank while the women talked. There were some embarrassing things that happened like Phinx getting heavily drunk and turning into a kissing machine, Feitan harassing Seiya, and Kenji, together with Nobunaga, acting like brothers.

Fortunately for them, Kairo forgot to bring his camera and he refused to go back to the island to get it. Shalnark on the other hand was still sober and he only joined their drinking session briefly before going to his hotel room.

The sandy-blond guy received another order from his Danchou to research about the scarlet eyes. Since Kurapika is back to herself, they will now resume looking for the remaining scarlet eyes so that he can keep his end of the bargain. Shalnark did find something and he opted to tell his leader first thing in the morning.

When they arrived, they saw Kuroro sitting casually on the living room couch, reading while Kurapika sat not far from him, watching the early morning news. The blonde looked at the newcomers with a slight frown.

"You two are up early." Kairo chuckled and sauntered towards the two while the others returned to their own rooms to change into their bodyguard uniforms. Everyone except Shalnark who stood not far from them and watched the whole scenario.

"Where have you been all night?" Kurapika asked, annoyed.

"Oh, we went out to celebrate." Her uncle replied happily.

"Celebrate what?"

"Your return, of course."

Kurapika gritted her teeth. "You celebrated _MY _return without me?" she almost snarled at him. "Where's the sense in that?"

"What's wrong?" Kairo asked innocently though his voice had a hint of amusement in it. "I can't possibly disturb you two when you're having a celebration of your own, can I?" he then broke into an impish grin.

The blonde can't help but blush and turn away. Kuroro was somehow not affected and just continued reading the book. Shalnark gave them a suspicious look but then suppressed a smile when he finally understood it.

"Well then, I have to go rest now. Enjoy your morning, you two." Kairo waved at them then exited the area to go back to his room.

After he was gone, Shalnark finally approached his Danchou. "Danchou," he called out and Kuroro looked up from his book.

"What did you find?" he asked and Kurapika looked at the two conversing men.

"There seemed to be a pair of scarlet eyes hidden in the Valley of Heitun. "There's a small settlement there and the village leader is the one keeping the artefacts." Shalnark explained.

"Valley of Heitun?" Kuroro asked himself. He remembered that place. It was the Valley you have to cross first in order to reach Rukuso Region and it is only a few kilometres away from the said region. His eyes shifted to Kurapika and he saw how she turned rigid and her gaze never leaving the two of them.

"Ummm..." Shalnark must have felt the blonde's stare and he felt uneasy about it. "Well, there's another one-" but his sentence was rudely cut off when Kurapika spoke.

"Let's get the eyes housed in there." She said almost in a whisper.

Kuroro furrowed his brows. "Are you okay with it?" he asked.

"Of course." She replied curtly and stood up. "Let's go and plan what we should do."

With a nod, Kuroro followed her retreating figure with Shalnark trailing behind him.

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They spent the whole morning, planning for their new mission which will be joined only by Machi, Shal, and Kenji. The five of them will be travelling towards the Valley of Heitun and the trip will be a very long one since it's is actually a province and is far away from civilization. It will take them approximately three to four days before reaching the place.

They then spent the beginning of their afternoon sitting inside the usual study room of Kairo Bethel where they always discuss important matters. Kurapika was sitting on her usual spot while Kuroro is seated opposite her. In front of them, Kairo Bethel had his hands clasped and is staring at the two intently. The three of them are the only ones inside the room.

"Now, I've called you two here because I'm sort of aware on how far you've taken this relationship of yours." Kairo spoke up seriously and opened his side table drawer. He took out a folder and gave Kuroro a look. "Take this, Kuroro." He ordered and held out the said folder.

Kuroro looked at the object before standing up and taking it from the man. He then retreated back to his seat and opened the said folder. As he read its contents, his eyes widened considerably but he did not say a word. Kurapika's brows furrowed while looking at her fiancé.

The Spider head turned to look at Kairo who was smiling widely at them. "Seriously?" he asked.

"What's that?" Kurapika can no longer contain her curiosity and questioned him. Kuroro handed the folder over the girl and she too read what's inside. Like him, she was also a bit shocked as she looked at her uncle.

"My pre-wedding gifts for you two." Kairo explained when he was showered by two confused looks. "The manor and the land."

"When did you do this?" Kurapika asked as she reread the contents of the folder.

The man chuckled slightly. "Secreeeet." He said in a sing-song manner and his niece shot him a glare. "You two can't continue living in this mansion after you get married, right? That's why I took the liberty to finding a suitable house for you two to live in." Kairo explained with a grin.

"And you chose Kaede Gushiken District? That's too far away, don't you think?" Kuroro stated while crossing his arms relaxingly.

"Oh no! Not at all!" the old man replied.

"Our main company is located there." Kurapika generously informed the Spider head and he nodded slightly.

"I see." He then said nothing further.

"But seriously, uncle. We're not yet..." The blonde blushed. "...you know..."

"Well, better early than never!" her uncle replied enthusiastically.

"Shouldn't that be 'better _late_ than never'?"

"I know. That's my own motto." Kairo grinned at the Kuruta who only rolled her eyes in response. "Anyway, I've heard that you two are going to get the scarlet eyes from the Valley of Heitun." The two nodded. "Kurapika, say give my greetings to the _chief_ for me, will you?"

Kurapika nodded and smiled. "I will."

"And I have to inform you two that you should start sleeping in one room together now." Kairo simply stated which made the girl tense up.

"What?" she asked rather disbelievingly. Kuroro on the other remained silent but with an impish smile on his face.

"What's wrong? It's not like you two have something to hide now, right Kuroro?" the blonde Kuruta blushed slightly. "I have already renovated the room where you two will stay. And no protests, okay?" the man added firmly and seriously when he saw Kurapika almost voicing out her complaints. "If you two get used to sleeping together every night, then there wouldn't be any problems when the real thing comes. Your new room is the one with golden doorknobs on the second floor."

His words were enough to silence the upset Kuruta. A few seconds later, the couple finally decided to exit the room to prepare for their journey tomorrow.

As they walked along each other, Kuroro took this opportunity to ask her about what he had been wandering. "Who's the chief?" he asked the girl.

"The clan leader of the small settlement in the valley." Kurapika informed and the man nodded. Since Rukuso Village is just near the valley, he assumed that the Kuruta clan and the tribe there could either be friends or foes.

"Oh? What's their clan called?" he asked again.

"Shigemitsu Clan." The girl answered curtly.

"Do they posses anything unique?" the man asked again for the third time.

Kurapika sighed heavily. "No. They're just a normal bunch of people living peacefully in that valley. So if you're thinking of robbing them of anything, you'll have to face me first." She warned him, looking into his eyes.

"I'm not." Kuroro said in defence as he smile at her. "So, you know the chief?"

"Yes. He's my father's close acquaintance and stop asking questions, really." The blonde now pleaded with an annoyed voice.

"Alright." He complied but suddenly broke into a naughty grin as he looked at the back of his fiancée. "By the way," Kuroro said in an almost husky voice. "You were beautiful last night."

Kurapika's body visibly stiffened and she almost stopped on her tracks. As expected, she blushed furiously at the mention of their 'activity' together last night. She berated herself for giving out such a vulnerable expression that will surely amuse Kuroro. How can he talk about it that casually anyway?

The girl suddenly flinched when she felt Kuroro's hand intertwining with hers. He held her firmly. "Shall we go to _our_ room?" he asked her for the nth time and did not expect to hear any objections from her.

They silently strode towards their new room, hand-in-hand.

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**Author's Note:** _Wew! Chapter 15! I finally wrote a love scene and not a s*x scene! Love scenes are written with emotional conflict of the characters. I apologize if you can't feel the emotion of their love scene! Please RnR to inspire me! Tell me what you think of this chapter... THANKS!_

**Next:** _Kurapika and Kuroro finally tart their journey to the Valley of Heitun where the Shigemitsu Clan dwells. They will also visit a special place that lives within Kurapika's heart and past. The girl also make a surprise request to Kuroro. What can it be?_


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Hunter x Hunter! I love Kurapika and Kuroro!_

**Warning**_**:**__I turned Kurapika into a girl here because I don't want my parents catching me writing yaoi. Sorry! Don't Kill ME! And expect wrong spelling and grammars since I did not properly edit this! Thanks!_

**Summary:** _Eight months after Kurapika's encounter with the Genei Ryodan, she found her long lost uncle and finally focused in finding her clan's eyes. What she didn't know is that Kuroro Lucifer already found someone who could lift the nen curse. RnR!_

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Chapter 16: Her Two Requests

Kurapika sat quietly inside the compartment she shared with Kuroro as she watched the scenery outside the window come and go. Her eyelids were heavy with exhaustion and the thought of sleeping tempted her so much. They're currently travelling in a train to a bus station that will take them to the Valley of Heitun. After taking the bus, they still have to walk a few kilometres to reach the settlement in the valley. It has been two days since they left Morei City. They rode on an airship, a boat and now a train. It was absolutely a very tiring journey and the Kuruta was glad that her fiancé was not being a bother to her. He was distracted by the books given to him by her Uncle Kairo.

Speaking of Kuroro, he's currently inside the other compartment beside theirs which Shalnark, Machi, and Kenji occupy. They're talking about only-God-knows-what and the blonde didn't bother knowing it. He'll tell her about it later anyway.

After a few moments of musing, the compartment's door slid open and Kuroro Lucifer stepped inside casually and comfortably seated himself beside Kurapika. He took out another book from his travelling bag nearby and started reading again. These are one of those rare moments where they fall into a cosy silence without exchanging words.

However, the man must have noticed the Kuruta's tired state so he decided to break the stillness.

"Are you okay?" Kuroro asked as he looked at the girl at the corner of his eyes.

Kurapika only hummed which he interpreted as a tired 'yes'.

With a smile and a slight sigh, Kuroro gently put a possessive arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. Surprised, the Kuruta could only tense up lightly as she felt his warm body pressed closed to hers.

"Sleep. You'll need all the energy you can get." He whispered and kept his arm around her.

_Jerk. How can I sleep like this?_ Kurapika inwardly asked and as if on cue, the Spider head answered her unspoken question.

"Just lean on my shoulder." He grinned. "Or my chest."

Too tired to argue with him, the girl finally decided to close her eyes and let drowsiness conquer her body. Besides, the invitation was too tempting to ignore. She did lean on his shoulder for support and felt his warmth transported from him to her skin. Kurapika liked the feel of it. A few moments later, the blonde finally fell sound asleep.

Kuroro slightly berated himself for not insisting till the end to ride a train with better facilities. Kurapika had persuaded him to ride the first trip to the bus station. She said that it would be a waste of time to wait for a first class train whish will actually take another two days to arrive.

Closing the book, Kuroro heaved a tired sigh and tucked his fiancée under his chin then followed her to dreamland.

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"Wow!" Kenji shouted excitedly as his eyes roamed over the green, lush valley. "It has been a long time!"

Behind him, Kuroro, Kurapika, Machi and Shalnark followed closely as they trudged along a rocky path leading to the entrance of the village. They have been walking for almost an hour and Kurapika was thankful that her experiences during the first phase of the Hunter Examinations helped her endure the hot sun and gave her the stamina she needed.

Kuroro on the other hand looked perfectly normal as if walking for more than an hour is a usual routine for him. Kurapika had never considered him a standard human being ever. He's beyond that and somehow, it added more mystery to his personality.

They continued walking with Kenji energetically leading the way. The Elite Seven and Kurapika have been in the Valley of Heitun twice to visit the clan leader.

A few more minutes later, they finally found themselves standing at the small entrance gate of the village. They can see small houses made of bamboo trees and coconut leaves; a very primitive kind of housing. The village is surrounded by fruit-bearing trees and their water source came solely from the river not far from them and the wells dug. It was a typical picture of a quiet, small, and peaceful settlement that is far away from civilization. It hasn't changed at all since the last time they came.

Kurapika pushed the small gate open and the five of them stepped inside. The children who're playing nearby stopped at turned their gazes at the newcomers. One of the children suddenly shouted excitedly and ran towards the largest bamboo house at their right side.

"They're back! Yay!" the child shouted and the others followed him.

The noises made by the scampering children must have caught the attention of the older villagers and they curiously stopped on their activities to poke their heads out of their window and see what the commotion was all about.

Out from the corner of his eyes, Kuroro saw some young girls looking at him dreamily. He flashed them a little smile and continued on their way towards the largest bamboo house. Of course, Kurapika had seen what he did but decided to ignore him.

Before they even arrived at the foot of the bamboo house, an elderly man stepped out and greeted them with a knowing smile. He looked at Kurapika and Kuroro concluded inside his head that he must be the Shigemitsu Clan leader.

"Welcome back, my dear." The old man shakily acknowledged and the blonde Kuruta approached him gladly. He opened his arms and the girl embraced him like her own father.

"Guru-san." Kurapika called out as she drew back. "How are you?"

"Very well, my dear." Guru replied with a smile. "My son has been waiting for your return."

Kuroro did not miss how Kurapika's eyes twitched a bit at the mention of the clan head's son. As if on cue, the said 'son' stepped out of the bamboo house, looking only directly at Kurapika. He had chestnut hair and light green eyes, a peculiar combination in Kuroro's opinion. He was grinning at Kurapika like a child who had waited patiently for his treat to arrive.

"Pika-chan!" he exclaimed excitedly and skipped towards the girl.

_Pika-chan?_ Kuroro thought and tried to suppress a chuckle.

"Genko-san." Kurapika slightly nodded to acknowledge him too but to Kuroro's surprise, the said Genko strode towards her and suddenly gave the girl a meaningful embrace.

Kurapika was not shocked at all. She's used to this guy's antics since the last time she visited them.

"Alright. Why don't you come in with your companions, my dear?" Guru offered and with a nod, they all went inside his modest abode.

"Guru-san, I'm here for the scarlet eyes." Kurapika explained and they sat down on the chairs provided for them.

"Ah, yes. The eyes. Let's have a chat for a while before I give it to you."

Genko served them green tea and some loaf of bread and they dug in the humble food they offered them. After eating, Kurapika, Guru and Genko chatted for a while about the happenings in their lives while Kuroro roamed the old man's house, searching for the scarlet eyes. While the three conversed, a certain statement caught the Spider head's ears and he opted to listen.

"So, do you still need time to think about the wedding?" Guru asked which made Kurapika tense up.

_Wedding?_ He asked himself.

"Uhh... You have to know something, Guru-san" the blonde replied. "I'm sort of... in a relationship now." She almost whispered that statement as if careful not to let Kuroro hear. Kurapika blushed slightly.

"In a relationship?" Guru almost growled. "Kurapika, your father and I have talked about this years ago. Do I still need to remind you that you're already betrothed to Genko ever since you were eight. You have to live up to that promise that your father made with me."

The old man sounded like a father scolding his daughter. Kuroro and the others (except Kenji) looked at Guru with surprise clearly etched on their faces. What he had just revealed was the very first time they've heard of it. Seems like Kurapika has many secrets yet to be disclosed.

Kuroro almost groaned in disappointment if not for his expertise in masking his emotions.

_Why must I have so many rivals for her?_ He asked himself, thwarted. First, there's Michael and now this guy? He looked at Genko who's only watching his father and Kurapika.

"I thought Kurutas are not allowed to marry outsiders." Kuroro suddenly voiced out his thoughts and Guru looked at him with a slight smile.

"After Kurapika's father became the head of the Kuruta clan, he dissolved the law of prohibiting marriage of outsiders. And that's how we have made an agreement of uniting or clans through our children." He explained with details and the Spider head nodded as he looked at Kurapika.

"Why, my love. You didn't speak about this." He said teasingly which made Guru and Genko's eyes widen in shock.

Genko suddenly jumped up from his seat, with a finger rudely pointing at Kuroro then to Kurapika. "You... you two?" he asked, stammering.

With a smirk, the Spider head put a very possessive arm around the girl's waist. "I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. I'm her husband."

Astonished, Kurapika turned her head to look at him and she gritted her teeth. "Kuroro!" she hissed at him but the man only responded with a slight sneer. He then gestured Shalnark to get out of the house and look for the scarlet eyes that might be somewhere in the village. The sandy-blonde guy then successfully slipped out of the house unnoticed.

"This is a disgrace to the Shigemitsu clan!" Guru also stood up. "I will not give the eyes to you unless you clear this up, Kurapika."

The Kuruta gave Kuroro a this-is-your-fault look before trying to calm Guru down.

"Please, Guru-san. Those eyes belong to the Kuruta clan. Give them back." She demanded, trying hard to be understanding.

"Those are not just any eyes, Kurapika." The old man announced. "They're your father's."

Her eyes widened. She gave the old man a slight glare before speaking. "The more reason you should hand it over, Guru-san. For the sake of what you did for me and my clan, I'm not going to threaten you or anything. Just give the eyes back."

Kuroro can feel her aura rise considerably but she was trying hard to restrain herself. It must be because of her respect for him.

"No." the clan head replied firmly. "Not unless-."

"Guru-san!" He voice rose up unexpectedly. "I've told you countless times that I have no intention of marrying into the Shigemitsu clan!"

Genko looked hurt upon hearing those words from the girl herself. With a sigh, the young man sauntered towards his father and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Father, let's let Pika-chan be. She has made her decision years ago after she left us." He calmly said.

"But son, you've always wanted this." Guru replied but Genko shook his head.

"What I want is for Pika-chan to live happily. Not this." He looked at Kurapika. "We'll give you the eyes. Don't worry, Pika-chan." Genko then turned to Kuroro. "You look like a fine young man. Do take care of her, will you? Because if you won't, I'll come and get her from you."

The Spider head only responded with a chuckle and he let his grip loosen on the girl's waist. Kurapika only sighed as she listened to Genko's childish request.

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Shalnark was not able to find the eyes for it was actually inside Guru's house, hidden well from their visions. Kurapika happily took the eyes and she stared at it for a long time. It was definitely her father's eyes, she can see it. The scarlet hues of his eyes are slightly darker than the others.

After safely tucking the eyes away into her travelling bag, they finally bade goodbye to Guru and Genko then proceeded on their way back to Morei City. However, Kuroro had made a right turn instead of left and Kurapika furrowed her eyebrows.

"So, tell me. What did Genko mean when he said 'after you left them'?" the man asked as they walked on the trail.

"We're in the wrong direction." She pointed out, digressing.

"Answer me first."

A sigh. "After the massacre, I lived there for three years then left to travel around the world before becoming a hunter. Now, where are we going?" she asked.

"To Rukuso." Kuroro simply whispered which made the blonde squirm uncomfortably. "I assumed that you would like to visit your homeland before going home."

Kurapika did not respond. Kuroro turned around and ordered the others to go on their way now. Shalnark, Machi and Kenji obeyed and took the other path to go back to Morei first. The couple then silently walked together until they reached the region which was in the middle of the forest.

Kuroro looked around. He didn't particularly like to come here because it might revive some almost-forgotten memories but he felt obliged to bring the Kuruta in her homeland; the place that moulded her into what she is right now. For Kurapika's part, she was actually longing to come back in the village for the last time. Kuroro must have read her mind that's why he brought her here.

It can hardly be called a village now. There was nothing besides for some debris from burnt houses. Not far away from them, Kuroro saw aligned mounds on the ground with wooden crosses sticking out. Kurapika turned her gaze away from those heaps and the Spider head immediately realized what those mounds are.

_Graves._

Kurapika sauntered towards the said graves and knelt down. Sensing that she needs some space, Kuroro opted to watch her from afar. He is after all the reason why those graves are there in the first place. He then heard her mutter some sort of prayer that he had never heard of before.

"Sun in the Sky, Trees upon the Ground...  
>Our bodies are from the Earth,<br>Our souls come from the Heavens above  
>The Sun and the Moon sheds light on our hands and feet.<br>The nature rejuvenates our bodies,  
>Sends our bodies to the Wind that blows across the plains.<br>Give thanks to the Gods who abode in the Heavens for the land of the Kuruta...  
>Let our spirits live in everlasting vigor and protection.<br>I seek to be capable of sharing the mirth with my people...  
>To be capable of sharing their sorrows...<br>Offer homage to the people of the Kuruta Tribe...  
>Let our Blazing Scarlet Eyes bear witness..."<p>

After praying, Kurapika finally stood up and went towards where the Spider head is standing. She made a mental note inside her head that this will be the last time she will visit her homeland. She felt like she betrayed her clan who had sacrificed themselves and passed their sorrows unto her. She was supposed to avenge them but look at her now; falling irrevocably in love with the man who cause all of this sufferings in her life.

"Let's go." The girl whispered and took his hand. The sight must have been too much for her. But then, she suddenly stopped on her tracks and looked around.

Her gaze was fixed on a large tree at the other side of the village. It stood so majestically than the others and Kuroro can't help but admire its sheer beauty. Its leaves were so green and young and the bark is brown and very sturdy.

She let his hand go and walked towards the said tree ever so slowly. Kuroro followed and they halted when they were in front of it.

"A symbol of your tribe?" he asked but Kurapika shook her head. Kuroro noticed a few scratches and engravings on its bark. They were names of people.

"It's the Unification tree." Kurapika whispered and smiled to herself. She reached out and stroked the bark. "It's still standing."

"Unification tree?" Kuroro asked with obvious curiosity.

"Before our tribe mates marry, they carve their names on this tree. Our elders believed that the spirit of the forest resides within it." The girl started and the Spider head listened carefully. "They say that the higher you carve your name, the longer your love will last."

Suddenly, without any warning, Kuroro grabbed her by her waist and pulled her closer to him. Kurapika gasped lightly as she felt herself colliding on his chest. He summoned his Skill Book and used the teleportation skill. The next instant, they were already standing on a high place which was no other than on the highest branch of the Unification tree.

Kurapika clung tightly unto him as the wind slightly caressed her cheek.

"So, how about this?" Kuroro asked huskily. "High enough?"

The girl blushed furiously and she nodded. The man took out his Benz knife from his bag and released Kurapika from his hold then bent down. He touched the tree and started carving Kurapika's name. After doing so, he handed the knife to the girl.

"You know what? I'm starting to think what we're doing is childish." She said.

"This is your clan's tradition, Kurapika." Kuroro insisted and finally she gave in.

Taking the knife from his hands, Kurapika also bent down and carved Kuroro's name underneath hers. Suddenly, Kuroro caught sight of another name a few feet beneath where they etched theirs. He smiled at himself and tugged Kurapika's shirt. He then pointed at the name and he heard the girl laugh lightly.

_Kairo and Zali._ It read.

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After four more days of travelling back, Kurapika and Kuroro finally arrived home, tired but contented. They immediately retreated towards their room to rest for tomorrow, they will sail towards Kirin Island to put away scarlet eyes they have retrieved so far.

The night was deep and Kuroro sat on the bed, reading again. It was a wonder why his eyes are not yet strained. A few moments later, Kurapika emerged out of the bathroom, wearing only a robe. For a moment, she forgot that she now shared rooms with her husband-to-be. The blonde blushed when she noticed the man's presence.

He was wearing a tight-fitting black sleeveless shirt paired with a comfortable knee-length black khaki shorts. His shirt hugged his body tightly that it emphasized his muscles. Kuroro actually looked attractive in those.

Kurapika scolded herself. _Stop thinking like a pervert!_

Maybe she's being like this because they actually made love with each other a few weeks ago. Kurapika shuddered involuntarily.

Kuroro looked up from his book and smiled at her. "You're not gonna join me?" He teased and she turned away.

She opened the wardrobe, fished out her sleeping clothes and went inside the bathroom once again to change. After doing so, she dried her hair then reluctantly slipped inside the thick blanket beside him. Kurapika did not go to sleep yet for she also took with her a book and read quietly.

Kuroro finally decided to break the silence. "I think you might be pregnant." Kurapika suddenly choked out for no reason and she shot him a deadly glare. "I'm joking." He smiled charmingly.

"Don't joke about things like this, Kuroro." She hissed at him angrily, her eyes threatening to turn red.

"What if it happens?" he looked at her seriously. "What will you do?"

"Why are you asking such things?" the girl asked back.

"Because, what's the use of getting married if we're not going to make a family?"

The blonde tensed up. _Family_. The word rang inside her head. She had never thought of it and it surprised her that Kuroro brought that certain topic up. She didn't expect him to be the type of guy who would spare some thought about this. To have sons and daughters with this man, to continue her Kurutan bloodline with him... it's actually not a bad idea.

She remained quiet and Kuroro put his arm around her shoulders. It's like a habit of his now, embracing her like this. But even so, she still can't get used to his touch. Kurapika finally relaxed and leaned on his shoulder.

"How come you're so open about these kinds of topic?" she asked him.

"Because, like what Mr. Bethel said, we have nothing to hide from each other." Kuroro then grinned. "We've shared the same bed so secrets are no longer necessary." Kurapika's head snapped up and her gaze shifted towards him. "So, you shouldn't be hiding things from me from now own. Especially about your past lovers like Genko."

"Genko's not-." But her words were quickly cut off when she felt his lips brush lightly upon hers.

Kuroro smiled down at her. "You're taking everything seriously." He whispered and tightened his embrace on the girl.

"I have two requests for you." Kurapika suddenly said, making the Spider head look at her with eyebrows rising, her face still red.

"What is it?"

With a deep sigh, the Kuruta bit her lip and gathered up her courage. "I want you to..." she hesistated but continued. "... take the Hunter's Exam this year."

The man chuckled. "Why should I?" he asked with a bit of sarcasm in his voice.

"Because when you're a Hunter, you can move freely without worrying about Blacklist and Bounty Hunters. Also, you wouldn't be labelled as a criminal when you kill."

For a while, Kuroro was silent. He was contemplating. The Hunter Examinations will just be a piece of cake for him. However, being a hunter also means that your identity will be recorded and your private life will be available to anyone who can access the Hunters' Association website. And besides, he's contented with what he is now. Being a thief gives thrill to his life.

The Spider head understood why Kurapika asked him this. Hunters are not allowed to hunt their fellow hunters so if he becomes one, no one will endanger his life or Kurapika's life for that matter. It will be like a simple way of protecting her too.

He sighed. "I'll think about it." Then, he closed his eyes. "And the other request?"

"I want to go to Ryuusegai."

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**Author's Note**: _Yay! Chapter 16! I apologize if it doesn't have any action. I'm focusing on their relationship first before I drop a bomb in their lives that will change their fate forever! WAHAHAHAHA! Please READ and REVIEW... I'm open to your ideas if you have one! Yay! Love you all!_

**Next:** _Will Kuroro agree to Kurapika's requests? How will he deal with them? And what about her wanting to visit Ryuusegai, his home?_


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Hunter x Hunter! I love Kurapika and Kuroro!_

**Warning:**_I turned Kurapika into a girl here because I don't want my parents catching me writing yaoi. Sorry! Don't Kill ME! And expect wrong spelling and grammars since I did not properly edit this! Thanks!_

**Summary:** _Eight months after Kurapika's encounter with the GeneiRyodan, she found her long lost uncle and finally focused in finding her clan's eyes. What she didn't know is that Kuroro Lucifer already found someone who could lift the nen curse. RnR!_

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Chapter 17: Secrets in Ryuusegai Part 1: Persuasion and Frustration

The sun was up and warm, looming above with clouds covering it. It was the perfect day to relax for stressed people. Everything _should_ be quiet and peaceful. However, a couple in a certain mansion in the middle of an island are having their very first serious argument ever. They're not _bickering_ but _arguing_.

"No." Kuroro replied firmly as he walked on the path leading towards the stairs.

"And why not!" A blonde Kuruta demanded angrily as she followed his tracks.

"Just no, Kurapika." The man insisted.

"And I demand an explanation from you!"

In the living room, the Spiders can clearly hear their Danchou and his fiancée's lovers' quarrel. It was unlike any of those they have heard and witnessed before. They only usually bicker about trivial things but this time, it seems like the topic of their squabble is a serious and important one. Kuroro's voice was deep and commanding but Kurapika just won't give up.

"Just tell me why you refuse to take me to Ryuusegai?"

The Spiders tensed up. They all turned their heads towards the nearby grandiose stairs that the couple are currently descending. They've finally found out what the two are arguing about and it's not a very good one.

"And why would you want to go to Ryuusegai?" Kuroro asked back and stopped in the middle of the stairs. "If you tell me, I'd willingly do the same." The girl was instantly quiet with his offer and the man smirked. "That's what I thought." He said and continued walking down towards the dining room, failing to see his other Spiders watching them. Kurapika groaned, frustrated and she too followed the man.

After they left, Shalnark immediately opened up the topic. "That's weird." He said and the others nodded slightly. "Why would Kurapika want to go to Ryuusegai?"

"Who knows? Maybe she wants to see the place where Danchou grew up." Phinx suggested but Shal shook his head.

"She's making a big deal out of a simple thing." The sandy-blonde guy responded.

"In any case, Danchou was right not to allow her to." Machi stated, crossing her arms. "Ryuusegai is not really very welcoming of outsiders."

Nobunaga snorted. "That girl sure knows how to give us a headache."

Phinx and Shalnark grinned at him and the samurai responded by raising his left eyebrow, clearly asking _'What?'_.

"You no longer call her 'chain-assassin'." Phinx simply stated.

"That means-"

"That doesn't mean anything!" Nobunaga rudely cut off Shal's sentence.

"Stop being defensive now, Nobu." Feitan remarked, snickering.

"I'm not!" the samurai retorted stubbornly.

"You're warming up to her, eh, Nobu?" Shalnark teased but he immediately shut up when the man shot him a deadly glare.

Before he could retort, Machi had spoken up to prevent their subject from digressing. "Any theories? Shal?"

The techy-guy cleared his throat. "To be honest I have one but I'm not sure about it." The others listened to him intently. "Yesterday, after Danchou and Kurapika arrived, I saw the later receiving a phone call from someone. After that call, Kurapika looked like she saw a ghost. I tried to trace the said call but someone used nen on it and erased all the data needed to know from whom that came from."

When he finished narrating, every one of them had a deep and contemplating faces. It was Machi again who spoke up. "Then what do you think that call was about?"

"The Kuruta massacre."

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Kurapika clutched her phone tightly inside her pocket, looking at a certain raven-haired man who's sitting opposite her and is quietly eating his breakfast. Her own food was untouched for she's not in the mood to eat. Kuroro refusing her request was quite shocking. What's wrong with visiting Ryuusegai? What is he hiding there?

Kairo silently watched the two as he pretended to read the early morning newspaper. He had never seen the couple have a fight like this before and it quite amused him for some reason. It reminded him of his earlier days with Zali.

"Alright." Kairo stood up, gathering the newspapers and his jacket that was hanging on an empty seat nearby. "I'm off to work, my dear." He looked at Kurapika and the latter smiled at him.

"Take care." She said audibly and a few moments later, her uncle walked away, leaving only her and Kuroro inside the dining hall.

The blonde looked at him and opened her mouth to speak. But before she can even say a word, Kuroro had spoken first.

"If it will still be about Ryuusegai, then the answer is still a NO."

"Kuroro!" Kurapika frustratingly groaned. "What is in Ryuusegai that you're so stubborn of your decision of not letting me go?"

"And what's in Ryuusegai that you're so frustrated of going?" he asked back.

"For goodness sake! What's wrong in visiting the place where you grew up?"

For a moment, Kuroro was quiet and he looked at her directly in her eyes. But then, he broke into a sarcastic grin before saying. "No."

"You're..." Kurapika looked for a right word to say. "...impossible, Kuroro!" he finally blurted out, standing up. "Fine! If you won't take me, I'll go there myself!"

Sensing that she's actually serious with what she said, the Spider head immediately stood up and grabbed her arm firmly, forcing her to turn back round when she attempted to leave the table. Kurapika glared at him, her eyes turning bright scarlet. It has been a while since Kuroro had seen that colour and he took his sweet time looking at her before scolding Kurapika.

"You are definitely not going to Ryuusegai."

"You know I will. With or without you." Kurapika retorted and swatted his hand away. She then hurriedly walked out of the dining hall to stomp her way towards their room. Behind her, she heard Kuroro calling her name but she hastened her walking pace to make sure he doesn't catch up to her.

Kurapika really wanted to go to Ryuusegai so bad. Yesterday, before following Kuroro back to their room upon arriving, she received a phone call from an unknown number. The voice on the other line was painfully familiar but she can't quite make out who it was. But whoever he may be, he knows something about her and her past.

"_The secret about the true mastermind of the Kuruta massacre lies in Ryuusegai."_

Those words repeated in her head over and over again. What secrets? Who's the true mastermind? She thought the one who initiated the massacre was only Kuroro himself. If what the caller said was true, she needs to find out who it really was. But Kuroro just won't let her go! What the hell is wrong with him? Maybe he knows something about it and he doesn't want her to find out.

But no matter what, she will go to Ryuusegai and investigate this issue secretly.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"What do you mean, Shal?" Phinx asked, his eyes narrowing in confusion as he looked at the sandy-blond man.

Shalnark cleared his throat, ready for a long storytelling. "Don't you guys remember? Five years ago, the Spiders were called in by the Ryuusegai Council, seeking for our help. They needed money badly because of a fire that a certain mafia family caused in our city. They will use that money for repairing destroyed buildings, distributing food and medicine and buying water." He paused for a while, looking at his comrades and making sure that they're actually listening seriously. Then he continued. "And since only a few mafias back then used our people for their dirty works, there's no way they can generate enough funds. That's why they called us in."

"To steal for them?" Nobunaga asked but Shalnark shook his head.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten it!" the young man replied hopelessly. "The council gave Danchou a mission!"

"Kill and bring back the eyes of the Kuruta tribe." Machi concluded but for the second time, Shalnark shook his head and the girl's brows furrowed.

"It's only_ 'kill all the members of the Kuruta tribe'_. It was Danchou's idea to bring back the eyes and sell them to the black market."

"But we did not give the cash we got from selling the eyes to the council." Phinx stated, still confused. "Then who gave money to the city when they needed it so desperately?"

"Does that mean that there was someone who had given the council orders to kill the Kuruta tribe in exchange for money?" Feitan asked seriously as he continued contemplating. "And they used us to initiate the mission?"

"Yes." Shal nodded firmly, his eyes looking at them with seriousness. "The council keeps a list of records of their transactions inside their building. I've managed to get my hands on those records since Danchou ordered me to find out who was the person that made such request."

"And who was it?" Nobunaga asked. The samurai was itching to know who was the person that caused the Spiders to massacre the Kuruta tribe. If it weren't for that person, Kurapika wouldn't have gone after them and Uvogin would have been alive right now.

"He had no definite name. I don't even know the person's gender. But the name he or she used was 'Kyouta'." The sandy-blonde guy replied. "And that may be the reason why Kurapika wanted to go to Ryuusegai."

Feitan scoffed and they all turned at him. "How sure are you, Shal?" he asked, his voice kind of mocking him a bit.

"That's the most rational theory we can have, you midget." Nobunaga replied. "Do you think Kurapika want to go to Ryuusegai because she wants to have a vacation there?"

Phinx leaned closer to Shalnark to whisper to him. "Now he called her by her name." He said, referring to the samurai and the young man nodded with a smile in his face.

"Do you have any evidence to support this theory?" the green-haired man asked again.

"I think I might have one." Shalnark immediately responded and took out his cell phone. "There was someone who actually tipped me about the scarlet eyes in the Valley of Heitun."

Machi suddenly grunted slightly which made the other stare at her. "Let me guess." She said. "Hisoka?"

The techy-guy grinned broadly at her. "Uh-huh." He simply stated. "And he's also the one who told me that Kurapika will soon be demanding to go to Ryuusegai. I don't know what he meant back then but now I think I do. I suspect that he's the one who called Kurapika yesterday."

"What should we do then?" Phinx asked curiously as he leaned his back to the soft cushion of the couch. "Even if the girl finds out who it was, it won't affect her relationship with Danchou, right?"

"I think so." Shalnark replied.

"Anyway, how did Hisoka find out about the records anyway? He was not a Spider five years ago." Machi asked but they all just shrugged.

"I myself have no idea." He replied.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Hisoka chuckled at himself as he strode on a dark hallway towards the room at the very end of it. He had been doing simple researches about things that interested and amused him. And those things included Kuroro and Kurapika's relationship.

The moment he had seen the news about the grand engagement of the Bethel heiress, Hisoka couldn't hide his shock which then turned into amusement upon seeing to whom Kurapika was engaged with. He can't help but devise a plan on how to coerce Kuroro into another battle with him using the Kuruta. But first, he needed information. Lots of information.

At the day of the engagement party, he was there, silently observing everything. Until he found his pawn; Michael Fuji, the One-Star Virus Hunter. He was the perfect person to manipulate and persuade. Hisoka introduced himself to him and offered him help in exchange of providing everything he needed to find the information he wanted.

The clown was the one who told Michael about what Kuroro did to the Kuruta tribe. He was the one who aided the doctor in kidnapping Kurapika. He was the one responsible for the information about the scarlet eyes in the Valley of Heitun. And now, he will be the cause of Kurapika uncovering the truth about her tribe's massacre that will soon lead into and unavoidable feud between her, her family and her fiancé.

And if that happens, what will Kuroro Lucifer do?

This time, Hisoka laughed evilly as he finally arrived in front of the room and stepped inside casually. His eyes caught the figure of a brunet man with bright green eyes, sitting in a cavalier manner on a plush couch at the other side of the room. The man looked up and then frowned slightly at him.

"Where have you been?" Michael Fuji annoyingly asked.

Hisoka chuckled manically which sent shivers down his spine. "Patience, Fuji." He said and sauntered towards the couches and sat opposite him. "I've finished my job."

"Hisoka." the doctor firmly called out. "Tell me, whose side are you really on?"

"Who's side?" the clown asked back. "Depends. Today, I might be on your side and tomorrow on their side and the day after tomorrow I might go back to you." Then he chuckled, shuffling his deck of cards that just appeared out of nowhere.

"You really are from the transformation type." Michael stated calmly and smiled. "So, how's the plan going?"

"Smooth." The jester answered, pouring himself a glass of red wine.

"Good. Can't wait to see what will happen."

Hisoka only smirked and slowly drank his wine, enjoying the liquid, warm and refreshing as it slid down his throat.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Kurapika looked around warily, expecting not see Kuroro as she trudge noiselessly down the stairs. With her is her usual travelling bag that she uses during long journeys. Her bag is packed with clothes, some money and her Hunter's license card. She had to be careful not to get caught. As far as the blonde is concerned, her bodyguards and Kuroro's Spiders usually gather inside one of the empty rooms at this time, discussing everyday trivialities with each other.

The Kuruta glanced at her wrist watch and it read three o'clock in the afternoon. She then continued on her way down and when she almost reached the door out, a strong hand suddenly grabbed her arm and spun her around. The girl gasped and her eyes widened when Kuroro's visage greeted her.

His face showed no emotion. However, his eyes are telling her that she will definitely regret trying to sneak out of the mansion.

"Ku... Kuroro!" she stammered and the man's grip tightened.

"And where do you think you're going?" he asked venomously and Kurapika shivered.

"None of your business!" the girl retorted and swatted his hand away.

"It's my business to know what you do, who you're seeing, and where you go." Kuroro replied firmly and looked at her blue eyes, his gaze never wavering. "And I have every right to question you because you're _my_ fiancée."

Kurapika can't help but feel a possessive note in his voice as he said those words. She flushed and looked down so that her bangs will cover her reddening-by-the-second cheeks. Kuroro's brows furrowed and he spoke again, this time with his calm and usually cold voice.

"Are you trying to go to Ryuusegai?" he asked but Kurapika did not respond. Nonetheless, he didn't need her answer for he already knew it. "Tell me now, Kurapika. What is your motive in going to that trash-infested city? That place is no room for someone like you."

"Don't treat me like someone who doesn't know what she's doing!" the blonde almost angrily yelled at him. "And what's wrong with you? Why are so you keen of not letting me go?"

"I don't need to answer that."

"Oh yes, you do!"

"No, I don't." The Spider head stubbornly countered and grabbed the blonde's wrist. "Now let's go back to our room and unpack your clothes because you're _not_ going to Ryuusegai."

"And you'll stop me?" Kurapika asked mockingly but immediately regretted she did for a small evil smirk graced Kuroro's lips. An _evil_ smirk.

Suddenly, the man bent down a bit, slid his arms underneath her knee and hoisted her up, carrying her bridal style. Kurapika tried to struggle but she instantly felt dizzy as if she's going to faint. The next moment, they're no longer near the exit door of the mansion but inside their familiar room. Kuroro closed his Skill book which he managed to hold while Kurapika clung to him. The man then put the girl down the bed and he backed away with her travelling bag on his hand.

"You're staying here and anywhere where I can keep an eye on you." Kuroro ordered.

"So that's how you'll play this, huh?" Kurapika replied and she stood up, accepting the man's challenge.

Kuroro sighed. "All right. Let's have a deal." But then, he grinned impishly and looked at the girl with a predatory glint in his eyes. Kurapika gulped soundlessly. "I'll accompany you to Ryuusegai if..."

"If what?"

"If you'll let me make love to you every night for two weeks."

His sentence had clearly caught her off guard."Wha-!" Kurapika stuttered. "Are you that perverted, Kuroro?" she asked angrily and blushed furiously. "There's no way I'll accept that!"

The man chuckled. He wasn't serious about that but he didn't expect her to believe him that easily. Although the proposition was quiet nice and tempting.

"That's my deal. Take it or leave it."

"Forget it. You can't stop me."

"Want a demonstration?"

Kurapika ignored the man's offer but suddenly stiffened when he slowly approached her and topped only when he was a mere inch away. She can feel his warm breath brushing her pale neck and she shuddered lightly. Kuroro grinned as his hands went down to gently twine them with hers.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked with a forced composed voice.

"A demonstration." He whispered huskily then leaned further until his lips gently touched hers.

The blonde didn't mean to let him kiss her but as he continued, she submitted automatically, letting his tongue slide eagerly inside her, tasting her sweetness. Her eyes closed and memories of their lovemaking came flooding inside her head. Kuroro's mouth then transferred to her neck and he lingered there for a while, planting soft kisses on it. As he moved closer, they both fell into the bed and Kurapika gasped slightly.

Kuroro then drew back and smiled down at her. "That should do it." He whispered and pushed himself up.

'_That's it? His way of stopping me in going to Ryuusegai?'_ Kurapika inwardly asked herself as she pushed her body up to a sitting position.

"What?" she demanded, flushing hard, when she noticed Kuroro staring at her with a knowing smile.

"Nothing." He replied and then walked out of the room wordlessly, leaving a confused blonde Kuruta behind.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Kairo Bethel finally arrived from work and quickly entered the mansion, ready for dinner with his niece and Kuroro. He first put his briefcase away and took off his suit, hanging them on the rack. He then proceeded towards the dining hall excitedly. But it seems like the couple were still not there for they crossed paths. Kurapika was walking with Kuroro behind her towards the dining hall too when they saw Kairo.

"Dad." Kurapika smiled at him. "Welcome back." She then gave the old man a hug.

"Is dinner ready?" he asked.

"I think so."

But then Kairo's eyes narrowed a bit as he stared at a certain part of his niece's body. He reached out his hand to touch the collar of the blonde's shirt and slightly shifted its position. His eyes widened considerably and he turned to Kuroro who only smiled evenly. Kurapika's brows furrowed.

"What's wrong?" she asked, befuddled.

"Are these, hickeys?" her uncle asked.

"What do-." But then she stopped saying anything further when she heard Kuroro stifling a chuckle. Kurapika turned to look at him angrily. "So this-."

"I'm going to the dining hall first." Kairo interrupted, also trying to hold back a laugh but the blonde didn't notice. A few seconds later, he disappeared from their peripheral views.

"It will take a couple of days before those marks disappear completely." The man simply said as-a-matter-of-factly. "And you wouldn't want to walk out in public with hickeys decorating your neck now, would you?"

"You, jerk!" she hissed at him and gritted her teeth.

"And if you're thinking of wearing a scarf or turtleneck clothes to cover them up then it's suffice to say that you won't survive in this heat. You'll have to strip them off sometime."

"I'm still going no matter what!" the girl retorted, spinning on her heels and stomping her way towards the dining hall, a blush evident on her face.

Kuroro only chuckled to himself as he too made his way towards the said dining hall to have dinner.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

**Author's Note:** _Yay! Chapter 17! I just hope that I explained the real point of the chapter (about the real mastermind behind the Kuruta massacre). If you have any question or if you're confused, fell free to PM your questions or post it as a review. Thanks! READ and REVIEW!_

**Next:** _Part 2. Kurapika is still very stubborn in going to Ryuusegai. Will Kuroro finally agree to accompany her or will she just escape and go to the city all by herself? And if she does succeed, what secrets will be uncovered in Ryuusegai? _


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Hunter x Hunter! I love Kurapika and Kuroro!_

**Warning**_**:**__I turned Kurapika into a girl here because I don't want my parents catching me writing yaoi. Sorry! Don't Kill ME! And expect wrong spelling and grammars since I did not properly edit this! Thanks!_

**Summary:** _Eight months after Kurapika's encounter with the Genei Ryodan, she found her long lost uncle and finally focused in finding her clan's eyes. What she didn't know is that Kuroro Lucifer already found someone who could lift the nen curse. RnR!_

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Chapter 18: Secrets in Ryuusegai Part 2: Battle and Gift

It has been a week since Kurapika received that blasted phone call from an unknown number, telling her about a big secret she will find in Ryuusegai. But still, she wasn't able to escape at all with Kuroro's wary eyes, his Spiders' guarded and alert senses, watching her cautiously like a sheep being protected from man-eating wolves. At first, the blonde thought that, with her amazing stealth mode, she can break away from their guards and finally reach Ryuusegai without interruptions; but she thought wrong. After her fourth attempt to flee the past week, Kuroro had been like glue, sticking to her everywhere she goes, and it irritated her to the point that she refused exchanging words with him. Since then, the couple had been engaging in a constant cold war with each other.

Kuroro on the other hand would rather have her hate him, a bit, than let her go to Ryuusegai without knowing her motives first. Kurapika had been claiming that she just wanted to see for herself what Ryuusegai really is, and stay there for a couple of days to experience living there, but, to her dismay, the Spider head did not trust her reason, no matter how logical it may seem. The man believed that there's something else that's running in her head and he had to find out about it before making a rational decision.

Right now, they're riding on a car with Kairo Bethel to accompany him somewhere. Seems like the old man, no matter how busy he is with the company and stuff, noticed their cold war with each other, and he took the liberty to end this once and for all. The situation that the two were in right now reminded him of the method on how he and Zali solved their quarrels when they were younger.

Kairo smiled to himself and turned his head to look at the still silent couple sitting on the back seat with a considerable distance with each other.

"Say, I heard that when the Spiders have some sort of argument, they flip a coin to resolve the problem." He noted, directing his sentence to Kuroro.

"Yes, they do." The Spider head shrugged. "But that method won't apply to us." He added, referring to their own argument.

"Is that so? Then I hope I can help you two." Kairo replied and turned his head back to the road. Sato was the one driving and he was just listening silently while keeping his eyes on the road.

"Where exactly are we going?" Kurapika asked when she noticed that the smile on her uncle's face did not disappear. Behind them, two more cars are following theirs, which were occupied by the Spiders and the Elite Seven.

"You'll find out soon enough. But I suggest that you two prepare yourselves for the unexpected."

Kurapika's brows furrowed as if she sensed that this will be one of those trips where Kairo will amuse himself with his silly and childish ideas. She didn't like how her uncle would take things with his own hands. He's actually the polar opposite of her father who was the more responsible and trustworthy brother, while Kairo, as what Kurapika had observed during her stay with him, was a clever man who uses his money and power for the betterment of others, but in a way that no one would expect. Kairo often made fun of his partners in business, creating pranks and some problems within the company just to amuse himself with what his subordinates would do. In the end, he would step in and solve the problem he had created. But the old man was more restrained at home than outside. It seems like the only people that can control him is Kurapika and Zali, however, the later is no longer present that's why it's up to the blonde Kuruta in making sure that her uncle will not endanger his life with enemies he had created while entertaining himself.

"We're here!" Kairo suddenly exclaimed excitedly, opening the car door and stepping out.

Both Kuroro and Kurapika also stepped out of the car and observed their surroundings, noting that they're near a forest located at the outskirts on Morei City. Kurapika had been here before, when her uncle took her with him to train her in controlling her scarlet eyes. There's a gymnasium situated deep inside the woods that only a few people know.

The Spider and the Elite Seven also stepped out of the cars and looked around, confusion etched in their faces. Kairo let out a small chuckle as he ordered all of them to follow him as he walked towards the forest entrance, clearly going to the hidden gymnasium in it. Kurapika, Kuroro and the rest followed behind, trusting that the man knows what's he's doing.

When they finally arrived, they all entered the gymnasium and the lights instantly turned on, revealing the wide space and the variety of weapons that were aligned at the sides. There were also seats in the upper and lower boxes of the gym and the place looked more like a duelling ground that just a simple, boring gym.

Kurapika's brows furrowed again as she recalled that there were no weapons situated at the sides of the place and noting that the gym have changed ever since they stopped coming in here after her Aunt Zali died. She would train her chains and eyes here at least thrice a week to make her ability even stronger and more practical. A thought of creating another set of chains on her left hand crossed her mind once but immediately dismissed it since materializing another set would mean more limitations and vows.

Kuroro casually shoved his hands inside his pocket and looked around, concluding something in his head as he did so. Seems like he had a light idea what Kairo's purpose is in bringing them here. The said old man was ascending the stairs nearby to take seat on one of the chairs in the lower box. He grinned impishly as he looked down at the couple, clasping his hands formally.

"This is how you two should settle your problem." The man announced. "Fight for it. Winner takes all."

The Spiders and Elite Seven were clearly taken aback by Kairo's announcement, looking back and forth at him and the couple, and looking at each other as if they can't believe what they just heard and are confirming each other for it. Kurapika and Kuroro were also surprised but they did not say anything.

"No using of the weapons that can be seen around, only your nen." Kairo continued and smiled more. "The first one to corner his or her opponent will conclude the fight. Don't try to kill each other, understood?"

The couple nodded. It makes sense; what other methods can there be if they're both so persistent? They just have to fight for it and the loser will have to do everything the winner says. Though Kuroro was undeniably a more powerful nen user because he had learned nen earlier in his life than her, Kurapika shouldn't be underestimated. After all, she's the one who brought the temporary fall of the Spiders and strippe the freedom of their leader.

Shalnark was on the verge of shouting, 'this is insane', but he restrained himself and calmly retreated to a seat nearby to watch the battle. The others were also quiet and seem like no one wanted to interfere to Kairo's idea. They all just sat down like him and waited for the battle to start.

Kuroro and Kurapika looked at each other and the former smirked. "May the best nen user win." He stated casually and his fiancée scoffed.

"I plan to." She replied, summoning her chains that clanked wildly. The blonde then walked towards the other side of the gym, activating her Emperor Time ability as she did so. There's nothing to worry about her Aunt Zali's nen curse in her. The condition that was set is that if her eyes turn scarlet due to anger, she will eventually weaken herself until she collapses. But the emotion Kurapika used to trigger her scarlet eyes was neither anger nor hatred but excitement. It has been a while since she last fought Kuroro and she's itching for a good battle with him. Looks like Kuroro was also feeling the same thing for he already summoned his Skill Book on his right hand.

"Start." Kairo declared.

The next instant, Kuroro flipped the pages of his Skill Book and on his left hand appeared what looked like a red blazing fireball that looked similar to Kenji's and Sato's. He threw the said fireball at Kurapika and the latter jumped up flawlessly. However, Kuroro was prepared for this and he, too, jumped up with his Benz knife ready to slice her. But the blonde did not allow him to do so since she used her Dowsing chain; hit the ground with it, causing the force to push her up higher. Dodging while airborne is a difficult task so the girl opted to immediately settle herself on the ground.

Kuroro silently applauded the girl for her quick thinking but Kurapika's feet were barely able to touch the solid ground when he sent another fireball towards her. This time, she was not able to move away from the attack and so she was hit, slightly burning her left leg.

"Bastard." She hissed and materialized a pair of nen twin swords in her hands. Kuroro landed effortlessly back on the ground and smiled as he watched her.

"Hey! I thought no using of weapons!" Nobunaga exclaimed.

"Idiot! Bethel- sama said no using of weapons that is found around here, only their nen. Her twin swords are made of nen!" Sato defended his master and continued watching the fight anxiously.

Kurapika did not pay attention to what others were talking about and just clutched the twin swords properly; waving away some smoke that was caused by Kuroro's attack in front of her. She gritted her teeth, her eyes still burning scarlet. Just then, the smoke on her left side shifted a little and Kurapika turned towards the direction. Like what she expected, Kuroro had lunged towards her with his Benz knife and Kurapika blocked his attack by crossing her twin swords and trapping the knife between them. They pushed each other and sensing that he won't be able to get out of her grip, Kuroro used his free hand to grab four needles hidden inside his coat and threw them at the girl. Due to the close distance, Kurapika was hit by the first needle on her arm and she immediately broke away from him to create a greater space between them. The second and third needles were deflected by her dowsing chain but Kurapika caught the fourth one and threw it back to Kuroro. The man was also hit and his own needle sliced his left cheek slightly, causing a little blood to flow out.

Kurapika panted and winced in pain when she noticed the amount of blood flowing out of her arm. She raised her hand, gripped the needle that was still sticking in her limb, and pulled it out quickly. The bloodied needle was soon discarded on the floor and her scarlet eyes burned brighter than before. Kuroro can't help but be mesmerized by its hue as he watched her.

The blonde, making her materialized twin swords disappear, resumed the battle by lunging at him with great speed that took the Spider head slightly aback and, with her reinforcement ability, tried to deliver a powerful punch. But Kuroro successfully defended himself and the punch hit his arms that he used as a shield, sending him grinding backwards. However, Kurapika did not give him time to recover again when she delivered a Kou-blanketed kick that was aimed for his upper torso, specifically his arm. With all the speed he could muster, Kuroro covered his targeted arm with Ken, and the damage he received was fortunately little. Then, Kurapika jumped back and summoned her Chain jail.

Kuroro noted that he should be careful with those chains since it has been made especially for the Spiders. The chain will force them to their Zetsu mode and when that happens, the battle will be over with Kurapika winning.

The blonde threw the Chain jail at him and he dodge by jumping left. But then, Kuroro saw how Kurapika grinned triumphantly as she shifted her right hand, causing the Chain jail to also go left. Astonished, Kuroro quickly fished out a needle and threw it at the lunging chain. However, to his utter surprise, the 'Chain jail' disappeared like pricked bubbles and he felt something cold and metallic wrapping around his right hand. The real Chain jail was concealed with the use of In and Kurapika diverted his attention by creating a fake Chain jail and attacked him with it. It was almost the same technique she used in defeating Uvogin.

The Chain jail continued to snake its way around Kuroro's body and the Spider head knew that the battle has ended. He can feel his aura decreasing heavily and by the time the chains had him imprisoned, he can no longer feel his ability. He saw Kurapika materialized a long sword, walking towards him, and when she was a feet away from him, she pointed the sword at his neck then pulled back the nen chains around him.

"Game over." She whispered and her eyes turned back to its normal blue hue.

Kuroro smiled. "Congratulations." The man replied as his fiancée lowered her sword until it eventually dissolved.

"Now you have to agree to whatever I say." The Spider head only shrugged.

They then heard applauses from the people watching at the lower box and the couple turned to look at them, with contented smiles on their faces. Kairo Bethel took the stairs and descended as quickly as he can to congratulate the two, especially his niece, for winning against the Spider head.

"Kurapika." Kuroro called out and the blonde turned to look at him. "Heal yourself. You're bleeding badly."

Kurapika hadn't noticed it until the man pointed out to her. She summoned her Holy chain and healed her wound on her arm and also mended Kuroro's.

"Nice battle!" Kairo exclaimed with a broad smile. "Now, let's go back and celebrate!"

The next moment, they all walked out of the gym then the forest. The Elite Sven and the Spiders chatted noisily about the exciting battle that just took place, with Nobunaga not believing that their Danchou would be defeated like that. All the while, Kurapika and Kuroro walked behind all of them and they failed to see the two clutching each other's hand.

"That was some technique. Materializing a duplicate of the Chain jail then using it to attack me." Kuroro stated amusingly as he recalled that moment.

"U-huh." Kurapika shrugged but then suddenly stopped on her tracks when she felt dizzy. Kuroro also halted and supported her as the blonde clung to him.

"What's wrong?" he asked and Kurapika shook her head.

"Nothing. Just felt suddenly tired after that battle."

"Is it your scarlet eyes?"

For the second time, Kurapika shook her head. "No. I don't think so. If it is my scarlet eyes, I would know."

The two continued walking and Kuroro held her close to him, making sure she doesn't stumble. Her headache is pretty severe so he finally decided to ask Jo to teleport them quickly back to the Bethel Manor. After returning to the manor, the Spider head took her to their room and laid the girl gently on the bed.

"I'll go get some aspirin." He said and after the blonde nodded slightly, he walked towards the bathroom where the medicine kit is located. When he returned, Kuroro was surprised to see her wearing a disgusted expression with her hand covering her mouth. She was looking at the daffodil flowers that were displayed on a vase standing on the coffee table nearby.

"That smell." She whispered huskily. "I think I'm gonna throw up."

"Daffodils?" Kuroro asked as he approached her and gave the two tablets of aspirins and a glass of water to her.

The Blonde Kuruta quickly swallowed the pills and the water then pointed at the flowers. "Get them out, please." She said in a hoarse voice then fell back on the bed, closing her eyes.

Furrowing his brows, Kuroro walked towards the vase, grabbed the poor flowers then dumped them inside the trash bin. He turned his gaze to the girl and noted how overly sensitive her nose is to the smell of those flowers. Then, something clicked in his head and he opted to ask the girl a few questions.

"Kurapika." He called out and sat on the bed beside her. "How often do you feel dizzy?" he asked.

"Almost every day, whenever you irritate me." She answered sarcastically. Okay. That was not the response Kuroro wanted to hear, but nevertheless, he continued asking her more questions.

"How about nausea? Do you vomit frequently the past days?"

That question made the Kuruta stiff and she snapped her eyes open to look at the man beside her. Kuroro's dark gaze greeted her back and she gulped soundlessly.

"Umm... Yeah. How did you know?" she asked him and Kuroro chuckled. Looks like his dear Kuruta is still as innocent as ever.

"I've noticed that you eat a little during meal time. Are you on a diet?" he playfully asked again.

"No." Kurapika replied firmly. "It's just that if I eat too much, I feel nauseous. All the time." Then she paused. "Wait. Why are you asking these questions?"

Kuroro chuckled more genuinely and lied down. He rolled to his side so that he was facing her too.

"The final question." He stated, ignoring the blonde's own question. "Do you have morning sickness all the time in the past days?"

The blonde stiffened even more and realized where this question and answer session is going. She looked at him directly; her lips quivering as she finally spoke.

"You don't think I'm..." she railed off, unable to continue further.

"We will see. I think you ought to get a pregnancy test tomorrow." He whispered huskily and put snaked his arm on her waist.

"That's..." Kurapika's eyes turned scarlet. She had mixed emotions right now. There was happiness, nervousness, anxiety, and uncertainty. She's still seventeen so it's normal for her to feel this way but if she really is pregnant, what will Kuroro, her uncle, and her friends say? It's still early for this kind of thing and they're not even married yet!

As if on cue, Kuroro spoke something related to her last thought.

"And if the test is positive, let's get married as soon as possible." he then leaned forward, planted a gentle kiss on her forehead as if saying and reassuring her that everything will be alright and he will always be right there for her no matter what will happen.

Kurapika only nodded, closing her eyes to feel his warm breath caressing her cheeks, and she flushed. If she really is expecting, then that would be good news for her uncle, who had wanted to have grandchildren as soon as possible. She smiled slightly then drifted off to sleep in Kuroro's arms.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The next day, Kurapika woke up on the wrong side of the bed. She has become moody lately, often becoming irritated easily at the simplest things. Now that Kuroro had pointed the possibility of her pregnancy, he became even more reluctant in letting her go to Ryuusegai despite the fact that she won their battle yesterday.

Kuroro had taken the liberty to explain the whole situation to Kairo and as expected, the old man happily sent out Aki to buy a home pregnancy test (since Kurapika stubbornly refused to go to a doctor) and eagerly agreed to the idea of making the wedding earlier than planned.

Right now, Kuroro is sitting on a couch inside their room, reading a book and waiting for his fiancée to emerge out of the bathroom with the news. Though it's not obvious in his face, the Spider head had been expecting something like this to happen. When they made love about three weeks ago, they had an unprotected sex. He'd be a bit surprised if he didn't get her pregnant then.

A few minutes later, Kurapika stepped out of the bathroom and Kuroro immediately stood up, closing the book and putting it on the table. He approached the Kuruta who was currently holding the pregnancy test on her left hand. She looked up to him, a small smile gracing her lips.

"Positive." She whispered and Kuroro smiled. He took the test from her hand, put it on a nearby table then pulled the Kuruta towards him. Kurapika gasped and the next moment, she found herself in his embrace.

When she felt him against her, Kurapika can no longer hold them back. The tears came streaming down rapidly, sobs escaped her lips and she tightened her grip in Kuroro's shirt. She didn't know how the tears were triggered since she felt emotions jumbled inside her chest. Her heat beat rapidly as if it was doing a dangerous somersault.

Kuroro pulled back from the embrace, wiped her tears away and stared at her beautiful face. He smiled and leaned forward to whisper to her ears.

"It's alright. I'm here."

Kurapika responded by hugging him even tighter and relaxing in his arms, trusting that he would keep what he just said forever. As for Kuroro, the gift that she had given him was the most important one in his life and he will do everything to protect Kurapika and their child.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Her phone rang with an unknown number calling her. Kurapika hesitantly picked up the device and stared at the plasma screen, contemplating whether she should answer it or not. It was the same number that called and told her about the secrets in Ryuusegai.

Heaving a deep sigh, Kurapika pushed the 'Answer' button and tucked the phone in her ears.

_Ya. How are you doing?_ The familiar voice at the other end of the line asked casually.

"Who are you?" Kurapika demanded, her voice hinting an indignant tone.

_Now, now, Kurapika. Patience. You will know when the right time comes. _The voice replied and she hear the person chuckle. _By the way, Congratulations on your pregnancy. I'm sure Kuroro is thrilled. _There was a thick sarcasm in his voice that made Kurapika snap at him.

"Bastard!" the Kuruta shouted angrily. Fortunately, she's alone inside her room for Kuroro had gone out some moments ago to tell the good news to Kairo Bethel.

_Still interested in what's hidden in Ryuusegai?_ Kurapika stiffened at this. _Well, of course you are! But I see that you can't easily escape, eh?_

"Who really are you?" she asked again, hoping that the person at the other line will finally answer her seriously.

_A friend. _He replied and the line went dead.

For a moment, Kurapika looked at her phone, dumbfounded. She was about to dial the number gain when the doors opened and Kuroro stepped inside, carrying a basket with a variety of fruits in it. He set the said basket down on the coffee table and sat down on the couch beside her.

"From your uncle." He explained briefly. "He said fruits will be good for the baby."

Kurapika only nodded and hid her phone away from his sight, hoping that he won't question her. Unconsciously, her hand went to her belly and stayed there for a while, memorizing the feeling of Kuroro's child growing inside her. She smiled then looked at Kuroro. The man also turned towards her with a sideways smile.

"So, if the baby is a boy, what should you name him?" he asked which made Kurapika flush. It was like he had read her mind for when he left the room, before she received the, mysterious phone call, Kurapika was actually contemplating on names suitable for a boy and a girl. She came up with two names starting with the letter K.

"Krisu." She said in almost a whisper and Kuroro grinned broadly, understanding why she had chosen that name for a boy.

"And if a girl?" he asked again.

"Karin."

"That's..." Kuroro paused to look for a suitable word and finally settled for, "...cute."

Kurapika chuckled and nodded. "Yeah." She stated but then, her voiced turned hard. "You're still taking me to Ryuusegai, Kuroro. I believe you're the type of man who's true to his words. I don't care what the risks are but you have to take me no matter what."

"You don't care what will happen to you but think of the baby, Kurapika." The spider head replied calmly. "In case you haven't noticed, Ryuusegai is the world's dumping site. Going and staying there might deteriorate not only your health but also the baby's."

The blonde was quite for a while before finally speaking up. "There's something in Ryuusegai that I need to see for myself." Kurapika paused and opted to tell him the truth now. "It's about my clan's massacre."

Kuroro was clearly taken aback by her confession and he sighed. "Fine." Kurapika's eyes lit up. "I'll go to Ryuusegai with you in one condition." The blonde groaned inwardly. "We'll stay there for three days. Only for three days and after that, even when you still haven't found what you're looking for, we'll come back here."

Although reluctant, Kurapika nodded. Kuroro then stood up, grabbed an apple, a pear, and some strawberries from the fruit basket nearby and peeled them on a table at the other side of the room to serve to Kurapika. The blonde belatedly noticed how caring Kuroro can get when it comes to her and the baby's well-being. He was a bit silent now, careful not anger her by his constant teasing. The mood swings of pregnant women can get very scary sometimes.

Now, she only had three days to find out what is hidden in Ryuusegai. She must make her visit in that city worthwhile by uncovering the secrets about the real mastermind of the Kuruta massacre.

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**Author's Note:** _Oookkaaayyy... I know some of you might dislike the idea of Kurapika being pregnant but I just have to do it since it is part of my plot... soooweee... I hope this is worth the wait... (I've been sewing Kurapika and Kuroro dolls for the past few days and I got lost in it!). Please don't leave this page without a review... teeeheee..._

**Next:** _Part 3. Now that Kuroro had agreed to accompany Kurapika to Ryuusegai, some fragments of his past are revealed that made Kurapika see him in a different light. A friend appears and helps Kurapika in obtaining the transaction records of the Ryuusegai council. What will happen after she gets those records?_


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Hunter x Hunter! I love Kurapika and Kuroro!_

**Warning**_**:**__I turned Kurapika into a girl here because I don't want my parents catching me writing yaoi. Sorry! Don't Kill ME! And expect wrong spelling and grammars since I did not properly edit this! Thanks!_

**Summary:** _Eight months after Kurapika's encounter with the Genei Ryodan, she found her long lost uncle and finally focused in finding her clan's eyes. What she didn't know is that Kuroro Lucifer already found someone who could lift the nen curse. RnR!_

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Chapter 19: Secrets in Ryuusegai Part 3: Mystery and Discovery

If there's one thing Kurapika hated the most, it's being treated like a delicate and fragile object that should be handled with care, and that's what Kuroro and the rest of them are doing. Kairo Bethel had been excitedly calling close friends about the good news, the Elite Seven and the Spiders kept a close watch on her in case she does something reckless (which was always a specialty of hers as stated by Leorio a long time ago), and Kuroro... He has been teasing her less lately and is watching her mood swings from time to time. Also, the man would urge her to eat delicacies that would be good for their child like fruits, milk, peanuts, pasta and many more. It seems like he knows a lot more about pregnant women than she does.

Kurapika sighed. Why did she have to be pregnant at the early age of seventeen? Confusion can sometimes be etched in her face as she contemplates whether what happened to her is a mistake. Well, whether it is a mistake or not, one thing is for sure; she will keep the baby and raise him or her in a complete and happy family.

The door of their room suddenly opened and a certain raven-haired man stepped inside, wearing his Danchou attire. The blonde's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. She didn't particularly like the way Kuroro dresses especially his trench coat with an upside down cross, but it was necessary. Anytime now, they will be travelling for one day to Ryuusegai and he had to wear those clothes so that the people in the city will not distinguish them as intruders or outsiders.

"Ready?" Kuroro asked and Kurapika responded with a slight nod. She noticed that he sighed slightly, clearly showing that he's definitely against this trip they're going to make. "Get your things. We're going now."

Immediately, Kurapika stood up and grabbed her travelling bag and together with Kuroro, they went out of their room, bade good bye to Kairo, then started their journey towards Kuroro's homeland; The Land of the Falling Star.

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The red-haired clown threw his nen-blanketed card and a body fell on the ground, creating a silent thud. He held up another card, put it near his lips and chuckled dangerously. The room looked dark and definitely dusty, a sign nobody bothered to clean the premises. But who would? This is Ryuusegai after all.

"Hisoka." Michael Fuji called out and sauntered towards where the clown is standing. "Are you sure this is the right place?" he asked, looking around warily. The cold dead bodies around them added to the eerie atmosphere of the area and the young doctor can't help but shiver a little.

Hisoka nodded and threw the card he was holding. It flew and hit a door of a nearby room, making the jester smile. "There." He simply said and Michael walked towards that certain door.

Pushing it open, the dusts were disturbed, causing the particles to scatter around the doctor's face. Michael wrinkled his nose as he waved them away from his face, then, after making a quick surveillance of the place; he stepped inside and looked around. Hisoka followed suit and he watched as his companion rummage through dusty cabinets and opening the old computers that were lying around in hopes finding a certain document as fast as he can. Hisoka took over the computers while Michael explored the whole room, scattering papers he found in his search.

A few minutes later, Hisoka called the doctor and showed him a certain file from the unbearably slow computer. "The record is labelled B-27." The clown then stood up, strolled towards the other side of the room and opened the small cabinet that Michael failed to see. It was locked and Hisoka had to use his cards again to break the lock and after doing so, he took out a folder from the cabinet labelled B-27, and then gave it to Michael.

Smiling triumphantly, the young doctor opened the folder and read the contents. As he did so, the man's eyes widened considerably in shock. He ran his fingers through the lines of words repeatedly as if he couldn't believe what he just read. Hisoka held out his hand so that he, too, can read the part that made his companion so astonished. As he read the article, the clown only gave out a malicious chuckle before tearing away one paper the folder and looked at Michael.

"She doesn't need to know this, right?" he asked, grinning broadly, and waved the torn paper in front of the doctor's face.

"She does, actually. That's the key part of the plan, Hisoka." Michael replied.

"I see." Then the clown folded the torn part and stuffed it inside his pocket. Before he can say anything more to Michael, they heard sudden rush of footsteps coming towards their direction, and people shouting, "This way! They're here!"

The pursuing armed men of Ryuusegai arrived only to find an empty room with all their important files scattered messily on the floor. One of them approached the still open computer, examined it, and then shouted at the others to look for the B-27 file.

Unfortunately for them, it was already taken.

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"I told you. You wouldn't like this place."

"Just shut up."

Kurapika covered her nose to avoid inhaling the stench coming from the surroundings. This is much worse than she expected; trashes everywhere (as always), people scavenging for food from mountains of garbage, dead bodies of humans and animals, and beggars and homeless citizens lying around on the street side. Things became even more complicated than ever since the Chimera Ant Queen Zazan came and tried to claim the city for her own. Kurapika was told that Phinx, Shalnark, Bolonelov, Kalluto, and Feitan came to the rescue of the Ryuusegai citizens and she concluded that their actions only showed her how loyal they are to the place where they were either born or thrown.

This is the city where Kuroro and the original members of the Genei Ryodan lived, grew, and survived. They had to do everything in order to stay alive and endure their sufferings, even if it means robbing and killing each other.

As they walked on the not-so-clean path leading towards Kuroro's place, a question entered Kurapika's head and she decided to ask the man to satisfy her curiosity.

"So, if you don't often come here when your gang has no operation whatsoever, what do you do in your free time?"

Kuroro chuckled a little at the irrelevant question. "You wouldn't believe me." He said and shook his head slightly. "And I didn't expect for you to be interested in the activities that I do."

The blonde only shrugged. "Just curious." She took out a hanky from her pocket and used it instead to cover her nose.

"Well, I run a bookstore." His statement made Kurapika halt on her tracks while he just continued walking.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "You what?"

"I run a bookstore. When I'm not around, my assistant runs it for me." The man explained more and Kurapika resumed walking, speeding up her pace to catch up to him.

"What the- You're a businessman?"

Kuroro scoffed. "Hardly. I only run that store for pure pleasure. Reading never bored me."

Kurapika had to agree with that for she herself is a book lover too. Reading takes her to different places through her imagination and informative books are her favourites.

"Then I guess you have to take me to that bookstore of yours someday." She smiled at the thought.

"Sure." The Spider head grinned and they continued on their way.

Kuroro has his own personal seven-storey building where he would put away everything he and his Spiders had stolen from auctions, mansions, and mafia families. His room is also located in that building along with the other rooms of his Spiders and that's where they will stay. At least the place is neat and clean for them.

When they arrived, Kurapika immediately unpacked her things while Kuroro took off his trench coat and draped it in a nearby chair. The room was filled with an awkward silence and it's kind of rare for them to fall into an awkward situation these days because of the fact that they have been intimately close with each other now. But look at them this moment; silently minding their own business.

"We should quickly get what you came here for." Kuroro said, shattering the heavy silence. He strode towards the other side of the room where a wardrobe is located and he opened it. It was empty, as he expected, since he did not visit Ryuusegai often. "Put your clothes here. And the bathroom's over there." The man pointed out.

Kurapika nodded and after a few more minutes, everything was finally settled down. Kuroro took his coat again, wore it, and shoved his hands casually inside the pockets, looking at Kurapika to make sure she's ready. But before anything else, Kurapika had suddenly sat down on the bed, crossed her arms and legs then looked at the Spider head defiantly. Kuroro could only arch his eyebrows questioningly at her action.

"Before going, tell me first." She ordered calmly.

"Tell you what?" the man asked.

"What you know about the real incident behind the Kuruta massacre." Kuroro was suddenly rendered speechless and the blonde can see how the corners of his mouth twitch slightly. "I know you know something." The Spider head smirked as he, too, sat on the couch where he put his trench coat.

Without wasting another second, he started telling her _almost_ everything, but he was careful not to make her too upset since it may affect their baby.

Kuroro narrated to her that the Council received a mission that is worth billions of zennies when accomplished, to eliminate a certain clan with ruby eyes, and they asked the Genei Ryodan to execute the operation. Kurapika was really pissed off at first upon knowing the truth that it was not entirely Kuroro who was behind the death of her family. There was someone else and whoever that person may be, he's got a very big grudge against her clan.

"The guy used a different name and we are yet to find out who he really is." The man continued and looked away.

"Five years." Kurapika whispered. "Five years and you still haven't found out who he really is?" she asked disbelievingly.

Kuroro chuckled rather sarcastically. "Some of the Spiders and I are citizens of this city. We don't run around trying to intervene and investigate whatever the Council members do. We only come here when they need us or when we want to have a taste of home." The man stated nonchalantly as if saying that he didn't care whatever is happening inside his homeland. His only obligation is to remain loyal to the city.

"But I'm not." The blonde said and Kuroro looked at her. "A citizen of the city, I mean." She added.

"Then that excuse is good enough." Kuroro smirked smugly and gestured Kurapika to follow him out now. The blonde silently obeyed and they then discussed their plan.

It was simple. The Council building has an underground room called the Records Room where all the transaction records between the citizens and the mafia community a long time ago were stored. Kuroro and Shalnark have been there before but they were not able to obtain enough information because the place was heavily guarded. All they have to do is to knock out all the guards, use Kurapika's Dowsing chain to locate the file, and immediately get out. The rest will be up to Shalnark to analyze the recovered data.

They casually arrived inside the building and Kurapika noted that it still has a very good state compared to the other surrounding structures. There were a lot of people inside, most of them armed with different kinds of weapons but some are gathering in a big circle, looking like they were discussing something important. The blonde furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and she turned to look at Kuroro for explanation, but he, too, sported the same perplexity like her.

One middle-aged man with brown hair and eyes from the gathering circle had seen the two of them standing near the entrance and he immediately paced towards the couple.

"Kuroro Lucifer?" he asked when he was a few feet away from them.

Kuroro nodded in response. "I am. It has been a while, sir." He said and the man turned to look at Kurapika.

"And she is?"

"My wife."

Kurapika's face suddenly went beet red and the man looked very shocked.

"W-wife?" he stuttered. "I've never thought that... just... wow. Lovely!"

"I know." Kuroro chuckled as he put an arm around her shoulders possessively. "Kurapika, this is Mr. Yuan. He's a council member."

The two shook each other's hands and then proceeded walking inside. Mr. Yuan briefly explained to them about the chaotic situation the building.

"Earlier this morning, two unknown intruders infiltrated the Records Room. They took a file; a very important one."

"What would that file be?" Kuroro asked but Mr. Yuan shook his head.

"It is a top secret file that only a few members of the Council can know."

"I see."

The three of them stopped and Mr. Yuan offered them a seat. Then, the old man went over to the other members of the City Council to continue the interrupted heated debate with them.

"Ryuusegai..." Kurapika started and Kuroro looked at her. "... is not that bad."

The man chuckled. "It's still your first day. Just wait and see." He then sighed audibly which made the blonde look at him directly at his obsidian eyes. "Anyway, looks like we have to wait until everything has quieted down a bit before we execute the plan."

"Right." She agreed and looked away, feeling the hotness creeping up to her cheeks.

"So, any other plans aside from this?" Kuroro asked suggestively and the girl failed to see him leaning towards her. When Kurapika turned again, she almost shrieked upon finding his face only a mere inch away from hers. She then abruptly pushed him away out from embarrassment and Kuroro chuckled.

"_What the hell is he thinking?"_ the blonde shouted inside her head. _"We're in a public place for goodness sake!"_

"We can move tomorrow night. I'm sure all of this will be settled. But expect that the security will be tighter than before." Kurapika nodded and the two of them stood up and, after Kuroro bade goodbye to Mr. Yuan the others, they walked back towards Kuroro's building.

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The night grew deep and the air cold and freezing. Kurapika is in Zetsu mode, careful not to wake Kuroro up who was peacefully sleeping right beside her. The blonde sighed. What she will do will definitely anger him but she had no other choice. This is something she must do all by herself. After making sure that the man is not pretending to be asleep, Kurapika got out of the bed as silently as she can, grabbed and wore a jacket for protection against the chilly wind, and then slipped out of the premises.

Ryuusegai during the night is different. The stench of the trashes is not very noticeable because of the strong wind that carried them away while the people are either sleeping or chattering around a burning camp fire. She ignored the suspicious looks that the others shot at her and just briskly walked towards the Council building.

As expected, the main entrance area was guarded heavily by patrolling men and Kurapika opted to go around the back and slip inside through an opening. Kurapika summoned her chains, used the Chain Jail to hook itself on the sill of an open window, and hoisted herself up, sending her airborne. She landed silently on the window sill and, looking around, Kurapika saw three guards stationed near the door leading towards the underground Records Room.

Jumping down as silently as possible, the blonde tiptoed her way towards the three guards, readying her dowsing chain to hit and knock them out quietly. She stayed hidden behind one pillar, but before she can lunge her chain, Kurapika felt two other men approaching her direction. They're not armed for they were talking with utmost formality like how Mr. Yoon and the other Council members did so she deduced that they are Council members. Kurapika waited for them to pass her without noticing her presence, but when she heard one of them mention the words 'Kuroro Lucifer', she opted to listen further to their conversation. Fortunately, they halted near her position and they continued chattering.

"He came with his wife. I can't believe it, actually. But Yuan-san said so." The member with a grunt voice said.

"Every time he comes back here, there is surely something he needs to do." In contrast to the grunt man, this member has a very soft and gentle voice like a woman's. Maybe this one really is female. "He's a troublesome existence for the city but we can't do anything since the Head favours him."

Another grunt. "That's because Lucifer provides almost everything the city needs. Protection, money, freedom... all of those. That man has always been mystery. Should we take care of him?"

"No." The woman-like member whispered firmly. "Let the Head decide about him. We shouldn't interfere. And besides, we can't take him down without losing too much from our side. He's a strong and powerful nen-user and most of the Council members and guards will not be able to stand a chance against him and his gang."

"Huh. We really need to keep an eye on him."

Kurapika found her eyebrows furrowing. She can't understand it. Why would the Council members be very wary of Kuroro's presence within the city if he's their biggest benefactor? Something's really amiss. The blonde continued listening to their conversation to answer the questions in her head.

"He caused us too much trouble ever since he created his Phantom Brigade. He cut off our connections from the mafia community, established a new council, and caused the mafia to take revenge on us." The woman-like member said.

"Right. I really dislike that man." The grunt stated. "Well, let's proceed. We're late for the meeting."

"_Meeting?"_ Kurapika asked inside her head. _"At this late hour?"_

She heard the footsteps of the two members fading slowly as they walked away from her position. Making a quick decision of leaving that peculiar matter about Kuroro and focus on her real purpose, Kurapika shifted her position from the pillar and immediately threw her Dowsing chain towards the three guards. The chain hit them hard and quick, making them unable to react immediately. The three fell with a silent thud on the floor and Kurapika quickly slipped herself through the entrance door.

There was a stair leading further underground and the blonde readied herself for more guards inside. As Kurapika walked stealthily on a dark, depressing hallway, she noticed something peculiar; no guards were patrolling around the vicinity. She continued walking and when she reached a wider area, her eyes witnessed a very grotesque sight; dead and bloody bodies of the guards scattered all over the floor, and a lone figure standing not far from those bodies, chuckling and twirling a card on his hand, while his body is hidden in the shadows. Kurapika's stomach churned and she felt like throwing up. Whether the reason is because of her pregnancy condition or the stench of blood, she hadn't had the slightest idea.

"Good evening, Pika-chan."

That voice! Kurapika's eyes turned scarlet the instant the figure stepped out of the shadows.

"Hisoka." She hissed and readied her chains.

Hisoka chuckled manically. "Don't be too angry, Kurapika. That won't be good for the baby." He then observed her eyes which turned even redder when he said the last sentence.

Kurapika felt her heart skip a beat but she said nothing to prevent herself from confirming what the clown just said.

"I bet you're looking for this." The man waved a folder labelled B-27 in front of her. "Don't worry I'm giving it to you. But you'll find some of the information here useless so I'm giving you this instead."

As if on cue, Hisoka took out a piece of folded paper from his pocket and walked towards Kurapika. The blonde backed away a little in retaliation but she suddenly stood her ground when she realized that she's running away from the thing she came here for. Hisoka stopped right in front of her and held out his hand holding the paper.

Kurapika stared at the paper. "Take it." Hisoka said as if assuring that if she will, she will find something interesting.

Reluctantly, the blonde Kuruta took the paper from the demented jester and looked at him. The man still donned that maniacal smile and it sent a shiver down her spines. She then looked back to the paper and unfolded it slowly and carefully as possible.

When Kurapika began reading, her eyes turned into its most scarlet hue, her chains clanked wildly and angrily, and her whole world was crushed ruthlessly and was turned upside down.

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**Author's Note:** _Yay! Chapter 19! Secrets in Ryuusegai actually has 5 parts... hehehe... I apologize for the cliff hanger. (I'm not yet done with the Kuroro doll! Oh Emm!) Read and Review my dear readers!_

**Next:** _Part 4. What did Kurapika find out about her clan's massacre? What effect does it have to herself, her uncle, to her friends, and to Kuroro? Something happens to her that will lead Kuroro to make a very difficult choice. What will he choose, or rather, who will he choose?_


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Hunter x Hunter! I love Kurapika and Kuroro!_

**Warning**_**:**__I turned Kurapika into a girl here because I don't want my parents catching me writing yaoi. Sorry! Don't Kill ME! And expect wrong spelling and grammars since I did not properly edit this! Thanks!_

**Summary:** _Eight months after Kurapika's encounter with the Genei Ryodan, she found her long lost uncle and finally focused in finding her clan's eyes. What she__ didn't know is that Kuroro Lucifer already found someone who could lift the nen curse. RnR!_

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Chapter 20: Secrets in Ryuusegai Part 4: Waiting and 50-50

It was exactly ten years ago, when he was roughly 16 years old, when he gathered five youths with the same purpose as him, and created the notorious group of bandits called the Genei Ryodan.

Sick of the mafia community manipulating their fellow citizens into doing their filthy and vile deeds, he used his group to break the ties between the Ryuusegai people and the mafia. The Council did not approve of his actions but nevertheless, he persisted in freeing his homeland. The Council ten years ago was a corrupt one, blinded by the money and power offered to them by the mafia. That's why, even with the knowledge that he will gain a lot of enemies, Kuroro Lucifer stood his ground, defied the Council, and swore that he will bring them down no matter what it takes. He had sworn that he will establish a new Council where the Head is more concerned about the well-being of the citizens rather than his own self-indulgence.

Three years later, everything he vowed came true. Then, he left Ryuusegai and only returned when the Head of the Council calls for him. It can be said that the group was his greatest success.

But they made a slight error. Yes, the Genei Ryodan was his best accomplishment but his greatest treasure was finding the person who made him feel again.

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Her hands shook feverishly while her chains were clanking wildly because of her unsuppressed aura. She was still holding the paper, reading the contents over and over again, making sure she doesn't miss a thing. How can one piece of paper make her feel so agitated?

"_Kyouta._" Kurapika whispered under her shaky breath, her heart thumping hard as if she just finished running in a marathon.

"How amusing." Hisoka said, watching the Kuruta suddenly clench her fists, crumpling the paper. But she did not any of that. All her attention is focused on a single important name.

It was the codename used by the person who ordered the Kuruta massacre however, it was not really the name that angered her but the real identity of Kyouta.

"Bastard." Kurapika hissed, not realizing that pearly drops of tears started streaming down her face. "He... he used my father's name." Her burning scarlet eyes still glued on the paper.

"Oh?" the demented jester chuckled and backed away a little to give the confused girl some space.

Kurapika's world was crushed. If she hadn't realized it sooner, she would continue living in a life full of lies and deceit. The man whom she treated as her second father, the person she trusted so much, the one who have been by her side through good and bad times, was the same man who had ruined her life.

"Kurapika!"

That lone shout broke the girl from her train of thoughts and she turned around. Kuroro was standing not far from their position, breathing hard and only wearing his usual thin sleeping clothes. He must have rushed here as quickly as he can despite the chilly wind of the night, just to make sure she's safe.

But he's a wee bit too late. She is safe physically, but emotionally and mentally- Kurapika is wavering.

Kuroro can feel her aura and intent to kill rising and emanating from her body in a very fast rate. If she doesn't control them, the other guards outside will be able to detect their presence here. He can tell that her eyes are blazing dangerously due to anger and if she keeps that up, she'll eventually pass out. Hisoka was smiling at him manically and the Spider head tried very hard not to shoot him an angry glare since it will only provoke his thirst for bloodshed. Walking ever so slowly towards her, Kuroro kept his gaze focused on Kurapika.

"Good evening, Kuroro." Hisoka greeted bravely when the man was in close proximity with the Kuruta.

It must be her need for comfort that made her suddenly collapse between his arms, clutching his shirt, and attempting to hold back the sobs that are threatening to escape from her lips. Kuroro, furrowing his eyebrows, held her tightly even without knowing the real reason for her actions. He then looked at Hisoka and narrowed his eyes, clearly saying that the clown should back off before he does something totally out of his composed character- rip his head off, maybe?

The jester smirked then suddenly disappeared from the room, leaving the embracing couple alone. It seems like he had achieved what he wanted in the first place; provoking Kuroro using his precious treasure.

Kuroro eyed the paper on the Kuruta's clutch and it seems like the answer to his bewilderment will be on this paper. The Spider head summoned his Skill book and opted to use teleportation to get out of the room quickly before the Council realizes that someone had shamelessly trespassed the Records Room for the second time.

"Ku... Kuroro..." he heard Kurapika whisper vaguely and after that, she collapsed due to the surging exhaustion caused by her scarlet eyes.

Carrying her in a bridal style fashion, Kuroro transported themselves back to his building. When they arrived, he gently laid the blonde down on the bed and took the crumpled paper from her hand to straighten it out. He began reading the article but his face did not waver. But the truth is, his chest felt rather constricted upon finding out the shocking truth. He finally fished out his cell phone, quickly dialling Jo's number. A few rings later, the call was answered.

"Kuroro-sama?" Jo sounded sleepy and tired. It didn't surprise him for the time is already two in the morning.

"Come here in Ryuusegai and teleport us to the Gushiken Mansion." Kuroro ordered calmly, looking at Kurapika tossing and turning in her sleep, sweat breaking on her forehead.

"Gushiken Mansion? You mean the one in Kaede Gushiken District?" Jo asked rather surprisingly.

"I assume that you've already been there." The man replied. He hadn't had the chance to look at the mansion that Kairo Bethel gave to them as his advance wedding gift but that's the only place he had thought of that is not only far away from the other mansions that the Bethel family owned but also private and exclusive for the two of them. "Can you do it?"

"I think my nen can support teleportation that far. I can." Jo answered.

"Then hurry here."

"Yes, sir." With that, Kuroro hang up and opted to take care of Kurapika first until Jo arrives.

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"Part One a success." Michael laughed as he tossed a red capsule up in the air then swiftly caught it again. "I guess it's my turn now." He's currently in the outskirts of York Shin city with Hisoka, ready to initiate the second part of their

Hisoka only nodded while shuffling his deck of cards. "You'd actually go this far for just a girl." He commented, fished out a card from his deck, and then chuckled when he got the joker card.

"You're the same, Hisoka. You'd go as far as trusting a fellow Transformation type to just push Lucifer into a fight with you." The doctor retorted sarcastically.

"Touché."

"Kurapika is not just any girl. If I can't have her, then no one will." Michael added seriously and pocketed the red capsule.

"I'm a bit surprised when you remained calm when I told you about her pregnancy." The clown said and just continued shuffling his card.

"I looked calm?" Michael asked him questioningly then smiled. "That's good. No one noticed. I'm off to Kaede Gushiken then. See you later."

"Good luck." the clown only replied and Michael disappeared instantly in thin air.

The second part of their plan is sort of dangerous. Not only will it break everyone's heart but will have an effect on Kurapika and Kuroro in a way that will be almost impossible to fix. Hisoka just hoped that it will provoke Kuroro further to the point that he would want to kill him badly. The clown chuckled excitedly at the thought.

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Kuroro clasped his hands and observed Jo performing his healing abilities on Kurapika to calm her down. It has been like this for the past four hours but no matter what the butler did, Kurapika's tossing and turning just wouldn't stop. He had suggested to Jo to call a doctor but the latter did not agree, saying that her fever is not an ordinary one and the doctors will not be able to do anything. It happened before, every time she overuses her scarlet eyes. All they can do now is to keep the blonde calm, cool her down, and make sure that her fever doesn't go up. It will take about a couple of hours before she wakes up and after that, they will give her the special medicine for her.

Jo was pretty worn out too. After teleporting them in the Gushiken Manor, he had to use almost all his energy and devoted himself into taking care of his master. Kuroro took a quick glance on the clock that read six thirty then to a nearby table where a certain crumpled paper lay. He eyed the paper in pure disgust then looked back to Jo, noting that the young man must have already finished.

"Jo, don't tell anyone where we are and what has happened to Kurapika." Kuroro ordered and stood up from his seat to approach Kurapika's lying form. Fortunately, Jo did not ask questions and just walked away from the couple to get the medicine for her.

The blonde's breathing was a bit heavy and hot but at least she's no longer tossing and turning as if she was having a terrible nightmare. Maybe she's having one right now. Kuroro sighed and looked out of the window. He had to do something. If there's one person who knows everything that is happening around Ryuusegai, that would be the Council Head. The Head is the only one who can confirm the information he found on that piece of paper that's why he needed to go back to Ryuusegai before Kurapika wakes up.

But it will take at least two days to get there but only a couple of minutes through Jo's teleportation. However, the young butler is already worn out leaving Kuroro no choice but to take the longer route. Jo then arrived with a glass of water and the medicine for Kurapika, followed by a girl who looked like a maid in the manor.

"Sir, she will take care of Kurapika-sama." Jo explained and put the medicine down on the bedside table.

"Jo, can you still teleport me back to Ryuusegai?" Kuroro asked and Jo carefully evaluated himself.

"I think I can if it's only one person." He replied surely.

"How long will it take you to recover your nen for you to be able to take me back here?" the Spider Head asked again.

"About an hour. That's enough."

"Then let's go to Ryuusegai now."

After instructing the maid on how to handle Kurapika, Jo and Kuroro immediately went out of the room the former teleported themselves back to Ryuusegai. However, they failed to sense another presence inside the manor with an ill intent.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

After sensing two auras disappearing, Michael Fuji carefully crept upstairs with his briefcase on his hand and used En to locate the room where his precious Kurapika is being held. Feeling her presence, the young doctor opened a door of a certain room on the second floor and stepped inside. He saw a girl putting a wet cloth over the blonde's forehead and then eyed the medicine tray on the bedside table.

"Good evening. I'm the doctor they called for." Michael introduced himself and casually stepped inside.

"Oh. Is that so? Please take a look at her." The maid replied and made way for him.

Michael pretended to make a couple of examinations on Kurapika until he finally opened his briefcase and took out a glass bottle with red capsules inside.

"When she wakes up, give her one of this. Make sure she drinks it down, okay?" he said and held the bottle to the maid.

The girl looked reluctant but took it from him. "But Kuroro-sama specifically told me not to give her anything but those pills when she wakes up." She explained.

"I'm a doctor so just trust my judgement." She nodded in response and went to the medicine tray to put the bottle down.

"Well then, I'm off." Michael said and, after stealing a quick and apologizing glance at Kurapika, stepped out of the room to escape before Jo and Kuroro arrive.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Kurpika fluttered her eyes open and the flare from the lights made her groan in pain. What happened? Where is she? This is not Ryuusegai. This is not Kuroro's room. So where the hell is she?

Gathering her strength, the blonde pushed herself up and looked round, her breathing very rushed and heavy, and her body hot and sticky. What she's feeling is so much like how she gets a fever because of her scarlet eyes. That's right. Maybe she is having a fever. She felt dizzy and nauseous. Where is Kuroro?

To answer that question, Kurapika looked around, searching for his presence. Unfortunately, she can't feel him. It's as if he disappeared momentarily. Rummaging through her memories, she remembered infiltrating the Records Room then seeing Hisoka there, standing calmly in the middle of dead bodies. Yes, he gave her something; a paper.

Her eyes immediately turned red. That paper held information that landed her in these circumstances.

"Young Miss! You're awake." A girl shouted nervously when she entered the room.

Kurapika furrowed her eyes that turned back to its deep blue hue. "Who are you?" she croaked out, her voice sounding so constricted that it hurt her throat.

"I'm Riku, Kurapika-sama. Please drink this to ease yourself." Riku said, grabbing the glass of water and gave it to her.

"Where are we?" the blonde asked after taking big gulp. "This is neither Ryuusegai nor the Bethel manor."

Riku shook her head. "It's not, Miss. We're far from those places. This is Gushiken Mansion."

"Why are we here?" she asked again.

"Kuroro-sama and Jo-sama took you here. They left about 40 minutes ago."

"Where did they go?"

"Forgive me, Miss. That is beyond my knowledge. But I did hear Kuroro-sama talking about Ryuusegai with Jo-sama." Kurapika sighed and nodded slightly. "Miss, please drink these and lie down. Your fever is still a bit high."

The blonde looked at the pills that Riku offered and furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't remember taking the red one every time I'm sick." She said but took them from the maid's hand.

"Oh. Kuroro-sama called in a doctor to take a look at you. He prescribed the red one for your fever."

"Is that so?" the blonde then took both white and red pills to her mouth and drank them down in one go.

"I'll just go and get something for you to eat, Miss. You must be hungry." With that, Riku exited the room again to get the food from the kitchen.

Kurapika waited and forced to calm herself down to prevent her eyes from turning scarlet again. It was an extremely difficult task but she needs to do it if she wants to recover as quickly as possible to interrogate someone for answers. The blonde looked around to distract herself. This is the mansion given by her uncle for the two of them and this is the place where they will live together. Her chest tightened at the thought.

Suddenly, Kurapika felt a contracting sensation on her stomach and her sight became blurry. Her dizziness worsened and the girl opted to get up from the bed and reach the bathroom door. She's on the verge to throwing up but, with great effort, Kurapika managed to get to the bathroom and almost throw all the contents of her stomach in the sink, engaging herself in a coughing fit. A few seconds later, she sensed water-like substance trickling down her legs.

"Miss! What's wrong? Are you okay?" Kurapika heard Riku, who had quickly arrived, shout worriedly, and then rushed to her side. The maid suddenly gasped. "B—blood! Miss! There's blood on your leg!"

But Kurapika was not able to answer when she collapsed for the second time and Riku immediately caught her.

"Oh no! Miss! Are you okay? Please answer!" But no response from the blonde. Laying her gently on the floor, Riku bolted out of the room to seek help from the other servants.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Upon arriving, Kuroro Lucifer did not waste any more second and just barged inside the Council building, knocking the guards out of his way with Jo's help. He walked briskly towards the main meeting room of the Council members and pushed the double doors open. The people inside, sitting on a semi- circular table and are discussing something, gasped in surprise at the unexpected turn of events.

"Lucifer! What is the meaning of this?" one of the council members asked, enraged by his actions. However, the man did not answer his question. His eyes were glued on the figure of an old man at the center of the table who was also looking at him.

"Welcome, Lucifer. Do you need something?" the old man asked rather too friendly and smiled at the Spider Head.

"I need to have a word with you." Kuroro calmly said but his voice was firm and very commanding.

"How dare you, Lucifer!" a woman stood up and glared daggers at him. "Last night, the Records Room was infiltrated again and we felt your aura. Now, you dare come back here and demand to have a word with the Head!"

Kuroro glared at her in return. "Just shut it or I'll kill you." He said venomously then turned back to look at the Head.

"Calm down, Shera. Follow me, Kuroro." The Head said and stood up from his seat. Kuroro followed the old man into a concealed room inside the meeting area while Jo stayed out. When they were finally inside Kuroro, being a practical man, went straight to the point.

"Explain this, Markuss-san." He handed the crumpled paper he got from Kurapika and the Head took it from him, examined and read it, and then looked at the man before him.

"So, this is the reason why you trespassed the Records Room. Again." Markuss said with smile.

"Enough with the chit chat and answer me." Kuroro demanded and Markuss laughed heartily.

"Still impatient like before. Alright then, what do you want to know?"

"Explain to me how the codename 'Kyouta' is actually..." he paused for a while, gathering his thoughts, then continued. "...Kairo Bethel."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Jo stood quietly outside the meeting room, just waiting and waiting until Kuroro finishes his business inside. But it's taking him so long since it has been an hour. The young butler sighed and decided to call Riku, the maid, to make sure she's doing her job properly and check up on his Kurapika-sama.

His first call was not answered immediately but he continued calling the number until she finally picked up.

"Jo-sama!" Riku's voice was stuttering and is clearly nervous.

"Riku, what's wrong?" Jo asked anxiously.

"Kurapika-sama... she's...she's..."

"Riku, what happened? Tell me! Oi! Riku!" For the first time in a long time, Jo almost lost his calm self upon hearing how scared the girl is.

"She has been taken to the hospital! She was bleeding badly and she collapsed!" Riku said in a rushed reply and panted.

"Have you called Bethel-sama and the others?"

"Y... Yes! In fact, they're already on their way to the hospital."

"Alright. We'll be there." He hung up and turned around. "Damn." Jo cursed and entered the meeting room to also barge inside the room where Kuroro and the Head went inside. He ignored the glares and outbursts from the Council members and just blindly walked straight in his rushed desire to bring the news to Kuroro.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Kuroro was inwardly petrified with what he heard from Markuss' mouth. Everything was clear now and if Kurapika finds out about what he learned, not only will she lose herself, but she might also be blinded by too much hatred that might be directed to one person. Things are getting complicated all the time around Kurapika and her family and they shouldn't get any worse.

"Kuroro-sama!"

Kuroro looked at Jo's figure standing near the entrance and furrowed his eyebrows. "What is it, Jo?"

"Kurapika-sama is in trouble! She was taken to the hospital!"

As quickly as he can, the Spider head went over to Jo, who was already creating his teleportation barrier. He gave Markuss a nod then entered the said barrier. A few seconds later, the two disappeared like bubbles.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Kairo sat on the hospital bench, anxiously waiting for what will happen next. The Elite Seven stood near their Bethel-sama while the others were standing near the doors of the emergency room. Kuroro's Spiders were also waiting for their Danchou to arrive and tell him what happened.

The white double doors of the Emergency room suddenly flew open and a doctor clad in white stepped out and looked for Kairo Bethel.

"Doctor." Kairo stood up and approached the doctor.

"Sir, my comrades are doing their best to save them. It appears that she has taken in a large dose of motherwort in a capsulated form." The doctor explained and Kairo's face became unreadable.

"Motherwort? Goodness! Can the baby survive?" he asked hopefully.

"There's a great risk, sir. There's a 50 percent chance that we can save the baby but if we can't, there's a large possibility that the mother will not survive too."

Machi was listening intently at the doctor when the corner of her eyes noticed two familiar figures heading towards them.

"Danchou!" Machi exclaimed and the others turned to look at where she was looking.

True to her words, Kuroro Lucifer was sauntering rapidly in his Danchou attire with Jo trailing behind him.

"What happened?" he immediately asked and tried to ignore the throbbing sensation in his chest. Kairo explained to the doctor that Kuroro is the father and so he was the one whom the doctor talked to intently while the others listened. After that, Kuroro's demeanour did not change but his Spiders noticed something else in his eyes.

"Sir, the decision is up to you whether you want to save the baby."

Yes, he wanted to save the baby but doing so would mean endangering Kurapika's life. The doctor stated there's only a 50-50 chance and if it fails, not only will he lose his child but also Kurapika. He thought of the blonde. If she were to decide, she would definitely insist that they save the child because she believed that it will be successful.

But now is not the time to think of such things.

"Danchou." It was Shalnark. He must have noticed how confused he is. "You need to decide quickly."

Kuroro nodded and looked at the doctor. "Save Kurapika. Not the baby." He briefly said and the doctor nodded then returned to the emergency room.

Kairo was the first one to bravely comfort the man. "Kuroro, everything will be okay. She will understand."

The Spider head looked away. "I need to be alone." He announced quietly then walked away from them, intending to get out of the hospital building.

The man used his teleportation skill to get out then walked silently by himself. He stopped when he reached an empty park then sat down on one of the benches. It's almost seven in the morning but the surrounding looked untouched by the sun's ray that's why it still looked dark and depressing. He sighed, shoved his hands inside his coat, and then closed his eyes.

It was really out of his character but he can't help it. When he found out that Kurapika was pregnant, he imagined himself carrying their baby in his arms and playing with him. That's why he was so careful and watchful around the blonde to make sure their child will be alright until the last month of pregnancy. However, he can't believe that only four weeks after conception, he will lose the child.

Kuroro smiled to himself and decided that now he's alone, there's no need to hesitate. The tears he tried to hold back in the hospital rapidly streamed down his pale face, saying everything that words couldn't.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

**Author's Note:** _Wait! Don't do anything yet... *hides behind a chair*... Now you can throw anything you want at me! OH MY GOODNESS! I killed KuraKuro's baby! Huhuhuhu! Sorry! By the way, motherwort is a medicinal herb used by women to conceive a child. One must stop drinking it when already pregnant or it will cause severe bleeding and eventually miscarriage. Let us all kill Michael! Read and Review! Thank you to the following reviewers: _

_**-tsuki kayasu –karuha yuuji –uwasaza –yukihitosakuya –jazzamein-chan –Florallover –Harco8059 –whitypearl –MARYLOVER –kazuha ichiyu –and to everyone who were not mentioned (SORRY!)... Thank you for your support! (Take a look at my profile picture ... Hope you all like it!)**_

**Next:** _The final part of Secrets in Ryuusegai. Kuroro temporarily forgot about what he found out in Ryuusegai because of his loss. How will Kurapika cope up with the loss of her child when she wakes up? And how will she handle the secrets that will be revealed to her very soon?_ _What will Kuroro do when he finds out who were behind everything that happened to him and Kurapika?_


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Hunter x Hunter! I love Kurapika and Kuroro!_

**Warning**_**:**__I turned Kurapika into a girl here because I don't want my parents catching me writing yaoi. Sorry! Don't Kill ME! And expect wrong spelling and grammars since I did not properly edit this! Thanks!_

**Summary:** _Eight months after Kurapika's encounter with the Genei Ryodan, she found her long lost uncle and finally focused in finding her clan's eyes. What she didn't know is that Kuroro Lucifer already found someone who could lift the nen curse. RnR!_

**Super Warning:** _Rated __**M**__ for some reasons _

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Chapter 21: Secrets in Ryuusegai Final Part: Because I Love You

"_Now tell me what you know." Kuroro Lucifer said venomously at the Council Head of Ryuusegai, clearly demanding that he spill the beans entirely or he wouldn't like what he's going to do to make him._

_But Markuss was not affected by his tone and just smiled. "About seven years ago, if my memory serves me right, there was an incident that happened to Zali Bethel. You know her, don't you?" the old man asked and Kuroro nodded in response. "A group of assassins successfully infiltrated the Bethel Main Manor and tried to kill her. Fortunately, their guards, called the Elite Seven, were able to counterattack and drive those assassins away. But before they left, a nen cursed was placed on Zali Bethel, causing her to fall sick and weak. That is the main reason why Mrs. Bethel was not able to conceive a child."_

_Kuroro listened intently while studying the whole situation. "The assassins were sent by the Kuruta tribe?" he asked, waiting for Markuss' confirmation, but the old man shook his head._

"_The assassins were not sent by the Kuruta tribe, but rather the assassins are members of the Kuruta tribe themselves." Markuss replied and then saw hoe the Spider head's expression changed from calm to tensed._

"_And he wanted to take revenge by hiring us?" Kuroro asked again but for the second time, the Head shook his head, rejecting his deduction. _

"_Kairo Bethel hired the Zoaldyeck assassins to hunt down and kill those who tried to assassinate his wife in hopes that the nen curse will be lifted. They were successful but the curse was not erased. Kairo told me himself that it was not just any nen curse but one with a Kurutan origin." Markuss paused and smiled, and then he continued. "That's why Kairo Bethel came in Ryuusegai for the second time and asked us to find the suitable people to do the job he wanted."_

"_Wait, for the second time?" Kuroro said, bewildered._

"_The first time Mr. Bethel came here, he helped us in cutting our ties with the mafia, saying that he was once in the same situation when he still lived in Rukuso. He said that he was supposed to be the next clan head since his older brother was too weak and sickly to take over the position. But being the clan head means that he should get married instantly to the woman he was betrothed to. During that time, Kairo and Zali Bethel are already... er... in love with each other."_

_Kuroro continued to stay silent as Markuss resumed his story. The Spider head found out that Kairo Bethel was once a very rebellious young man who had broken the greatest law that the Kuruta clan establish; never marry an outsider. And by outsider, they meant people who don't possess the scarlet eyes. The clan head during that time, who was Kairo's own father, tried to manipulate his son by using Zali as his 'hostage'. Fortunately, Kairo was able to escape and two lovers got together and went far away, forcing the clan head to chase after them in hopes that he will get his son back. Tired of the antics of his father Kairo finally decided to end it all; by annihilating the entire Kuruta tribe. _

_At first it was a very shallow reason to kill his own family and tribe members but Kuroro realized it wasn't. If Kairo's situation happens to him, or rather, happens to Kurapika, he'd do the same thing. But still, it's his family, his brother, his niece._

"_But when I dispatched you and your group towards the Rukuso region to initiate the mission, I received a message from Kairo that he wanted to cancel it." With that said, Kuroro's eyebrows furrowed questioningly. "But it was already too late." Markuss continued and sighed. "The codename he sued was Kyouta, the name of his older brother."_

"_Kurapika's father." Kuroro muttered inside his head._

_Just then, the doors opened and Jo came in, a look of horror donning his usually sleepy and lazy face._

"_Kurapika-sama is in trouble! She was taken to the hospital!" he shouted and the gears inside his head immediately started working._

_Without another word, the Spider Head quickly strode towards Jo and entered his teleportation barrier._

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The Elite Seven and Kuroro's Spiders all sat inside a certain room inside the Gushiken mansion, interrogating a very frightened girl. Shalnark and Sato stood in front of her, crossing their arms and looking at her with their piercing eyes. Jo sighed as he watched the scene. Aki and Machi both looked agitated but they did a good job concealing it. Nobunaga, Feitan, Phinx, and the twins all sat on a long couch, listening intently as the girl narrated everything. Kenji and Seiya sat side by side, also listening quietly.

"And then he gave me a bottle containing those red pills..." Riku nervously said. "He said that I should trust his judgement because he's a doctor. I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was motherwort."

"What does he look like? Does he have green eyes and brunette hair?" Sato asked and the girl nodded.

"Michael Fuji." Shalnark whispered with clear contempt in his voice and clenched his fists.

"Damn!" Nobunaga shouted suddenly then stood up from his seat. "I will kill him if I ever see him again!"

"Nobu." Feitan hissed and the twins also stood up.

"Yeah! We'll kill him, right Yuri?" Eri yelled angrily, looking at his twin sister.

"I'll rip off his guts then snap his head into two! He killed the baby!" Yuri pouted while he said those things and the Spiders can't help but gape at the two. The Elite Seven were already used to how the twins talk about gruesome things.

"Seriously, who teaches those kids?" Machi asked Aki.

"They got that way of talking in Ryuusegai." Aki replied nonchalantly.

"Eri, Yuri." Sato called out. "Calm down and sit."

Nobunaga was still fuming and he strode towards Riku. It was absolutely the first time the Spiders have seen their hot headed samurai comrade get _seriously_ worked up about something. Maybe he's starting to accept their ex-chain assassin as a member of their small family.

"Where is that bastard, huh?" the samurai asked Riku and Shalnark had to restrain his friend before he accidentally does anything rash towards the girl.

"Uh... I... I don't know." Riku stuttered and Nobunaga gave out an audible 'Tsk'.

Just then, the doors suddenly swung open and Kuroro Lucifer stepped inside, which caused the occupants of the room to tense up. He looked around and his gaze landed on Shalnark.

"What did you find?" he asked and shoved his hands inside his pocket.

"It's all Michael Fuji's fault." Nobunaga answered instead and Kuroro turned towards him.

"Fuji doesn't work alone." The Danchou said. "He's with Hisoka."

Shalnark nodded. "I'm 100% certain about that, Danchou." He stated seriously. "What should we do?"

Kuroro brought one hand to his mouth in a brooding manner. The others waited patiently for him to respond. Finally, he spoke up in a determined manner. "We will hunt Hisoka down because he's our lead to Fuji. After that, you can do anything you'd like to do towards the clown but leave Fuji. He's mine to deal with." The man announced as the others smiled excitedly at the thought of the hunt.

"Now you're talkin'!" Kenji shouted.

Phinx grinned and flexed his knuckles, Feitan sneered underneath his mask, and Nobunaga gritted his teeth while clutching the handle of his samurai. It seems like these three are the most excited.

Then, Kuroro exited the room to head back to the hospital.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

On his way towards Kurapika's hospital room, Kuroro had been in deep thoughts, contemplating on some strategy on how he will capture Hisoka and extract all information that he knew about Fuji and the things he had done. He can't believe himself. He, the great leader of the notorious Genei Ryodan, is actually trying to come up with a brilliant plan to have his _revenge_ on Michael Fuji. Well, that's the least he could do for Kurapika and their child.

From the corner of his eyes, he spotted a certain blond talking to one of the nurses seriously and his eyes narrowed. It was Kairo Bethel. Kuroro shifted his direction and walked right instead, to where Kairo is. He decided that before Kurapika wakes up, he must confront him first because if he doesn't, the consequences might be severe in the end.

"Ah, Kuroro." Kairo greeted and the nurse left, but not without giving Kuroro a very dreamy look which the man ignored.

"Mr. Bethel." He greeted back and because of his straightforward personality, the Spider head decided to get straight to the point. But before he could even utter a word, Kairo was already prepared.

"So, Markuss-san told me yesterday that you already knew." He suddenly said, his smile never faltering.

That certainly took Kuroro aback. It seems like the man has ears everywhere. He furrowed his brows then smirked smugly at him. "You still have connections with him?" he asked, frowning.

"Of course. He's an old friend of mine." Kairo simply replied.

"Then you should also know that _she_ knows everything." Though Kairo continued smiling, his eyes were tinted with sadness that Kuroro managed to see.

"Yes, I know. I'm worried about how she will handle it." The man said, his voice not wavering and Kuroro can't help but admire how composed the man could be despite the knowledge that he might lose someone important.

"In the last minute..." Kuroro started curiously, his face not betraying his real emotions. "...why have you decided to cancel the mission?"

Kairo closed his eyes. "Because of a letter from my brother which I received on the day Markuss-san executed the mission." He opened his eyes, which were tinted slightly red. "The letter says that he became the Clan head and he abolished the law of prohibiting the marriage of outsiders. He wanted me to come back with my wife, but it was already too late." The man narrated with a smile still gracing his visage.

"I guess it's my entire fault why that child lost everything. She lost her cherished family because of my selfishness. That's why I'm trying to make it up to her." Kairo continued to talk. "Whatever she would want to d o with me, I'll accept it. If she wants to kill me, then there's nothing I can do."

Kuroro remained silent as the man before him continued talking. "I have already decided that I will leave everything to her; the mansions, the companies, all my assets."

"What are you going to do?" the Spider head asked and crossed his arms.

"If I'm lucky, and Kurapika decides that she will let me live, though the probability of it is almost zero..." Kairo paused then grinned to himself. "...I will travel around the world and live the rest of my life in regret."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Three days later and she finally woke up however, she wasn't the same. After Aki had gently told her about what really happened, Kurapika fell into a silent depression. She firmly refused to let any food or water to touch her lips and just resorted to staring outside the window of the hospital, letting her thoughts wander very far away.

Finally deciding that it should stop, although it's very uncharacteristic of him, Kuroro Lucifer himself brought her food inside her private hospital room. He found her staring outside again and it seems like she was 'fascinated' by the view she's seeing. He put the food tray down on the bedside table and seated himself on a chair right beside her hospital bed.

Kurapika slowly tore her gaze from the window and turned to look at Kuroro. He was smiling gently at her, his hand over hers, squeezing it tenderly.

"You should stop sending away your food." He said but Kurapika's expression remained unchanging.

"I'm not hungry." The blonde replied.

"Yes, you are." Kuroro insisted, grabbing a plate of grated apples and trying to spoon-feed her. "You should at least eat something to regain your strength."

Kurapika stared at the spoon then slowly opened her mouth. A faint pink flush crept up her cheeks as she swallowed the food. Then, she took the plate and spoon from Kuroro.

"I think I can feed myself." She said, not looking at him and continued to eat slowly.

As expected, Kuroro is the only one who can convince the Kuruta to stop being so stubborn. He smiled as he watched her finish the grated apples then stood up to get the juice he brought with him.

"Distract me." She suddenly said and his smile faded.

"Distract you?" he asked, not quite getting her, and then he turned to see her.

"I want to forget." Kurapika replied, finally smiling slightly at him. However, Kuroro can clearly tell that her smile is a forced one, not genuine at all, and it made him sort of irritated inside.

"Don't smile like that." He simply said in his very straightforward personality. He knew that Kurapika was trying very hard to look strong in front of everyone but he also knew how hurt she is inside. Emotions were once a very foreign thing for him but ever since their second encounter, Kuroro felt that it may be possible for him to feel again. The loss of his first child confirmed it because for the first time in his life, he felt too much grief to the point that he can no longer hold back his tears.

He cried for someone before- for Uvogin. But it was different. What he felt is not actually grief but only sadness for the death of someone who had made great contributions to the Genei Ryodan.

Kuroro head Kurapika chuckle a little. "Yeah. I think I shouldn't." She said and bowed her head slightly, her bangs covering half of her face. "Kuroro, what did you find out about the Kuruta massacre when you returned to Ryuuesgai?" the blonde suddenly inquired.

Though it wasn't visible to her, Kuroro was slightly taken aback as he clutched the half-filled glass. He knew that lying won't do any good because Kurapika already knew the truth. She just needs someone to confirm it.

"Now is not the right time." The Spider head replied firmly. "Right now, you need to-."

"I need to know." Kurapika hissed venomously, interrupting him. "It concerns my family, Kuroro. I need to know." She looked up, her eyes burning scarlet again and Kuroro didn't like it.

"Control your eyes, Kurapika. You've just regained consciousness." He ordered and then heard the door open.

Kurapika's eyes burned even brighter when he finished saying those and Kuroro spun on his heels to see who the visitor was. His eyes widened slightly and he cursed inside his head. _"Damn. Not now."_

"How are you feeling, my dear?" Kairo Bethel asked gently. Fortunately, Kurapika looked away to hide her scarlet eyes and the old man was oblivious to the fact that the two occupants of the room knew his deep, dark secret.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Leave us." Kurapika hissed under her breath as the new object of her hatred approached them.

"No." Kuroro replied firmly. "I'll stand on the sidelines but I'm not leaving you two."

Kairo Bethel shot Kuroro a knowing look but the Spider head returned it with a cold glare. He had warned the old man not to show himself to Kurapika when she wakes up but it seems like he didn't listen.

"_The earlier she knows, the better it will go."_ The Spider head remembered him say.

Kurapika was clenching the sheets tightly as if her life depended on it and Kuroro stepped away, making way for Kairo to sit down on the chair he once occupied. The blonde is desperately trying to restrain her aura and intent to kill while looking away from her uncle. Kairo sat on the chair and silence engulfed them, leaving Kuroro watching the two not so far away from them.

No longer able to take the suffocating stillness, Kairo decided to break it first. "Are you okay now?" he asked his niece as gently as possible but she did not respond. He smiled. "Kurapika, cheer up for me, okay?"

"I really want to kill you right now." Kurapika responded in a hostile manner that it alerted Kuroro's senses.

"I know." The old man replied casually, a smile in his face. "And I'll let you."

Feeling offended, Kurapika turned to look at him and regarded him with a hateful expression. Her eyes were burning brightly as if it was tinted with real blood.

"All those things you said... they're all lies. Forgiving and forgetting? Are you playing games with me?" She hissed, trying to hold back her tears. "Mom, dad, and my fellow tribe mates- no, _our_ fellow tribe mates- you ordered to kill them all." Kairo remained silent. "I really really want to kill you badly. But doing so would mean I'm not so different from you." Her chains suddenly appeared on her right hand, clanking wildly while being fuelled by too much hatred. Her breathing is now slightly awry.

"Kurapika..." Kuroro called out to calm her but she didn't listen.

"I love you, my dear." Kairo suddenly beamed at her, which clearly took the female Kuruta aback. "What do you want me to do?" he asked boldly even though he already knew the answer.

For a moment, Kurapika was speechless. "I never want to see you ever again. I want to take your life but in honour of my father, I won't." She slowly said, the hostility almost leaving her chest when her uncle said he loves her.

"I figured you'd say that." Kairo stated, stood up and turned towards Kuroro. "I entrust my niece to you. Take care of her." Then, without another word, Kairo Bethel exited the room. He's now gone- gone from their lives forever.

When they were finally alone, Kuroro took over the empty chair. Kurapika smiled at herself and she finally let the tears flow down. She leaned back her head, resting it on the headboard, and then looked at the ceiling as if it was the most interesting thing she had ever seen.

"Even if I said that I want to kill him, you know that I can't." The blonde said in all honesty and covered her eyes with her arms. "Crap. What the hell is going on in my life?"

Deciding that it would be wise not to answer, Kuroro remained unresponsive and only stayed by her side until she finally fell asleep due to exhaustion.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Now that we've ruined their life, you're still not contented?" Hisoka asked his companion, who is currently reading some medical papers.

Michael Fuji looked up from his glasses and raised his eyebrows. "What about you Hisoka? Don't you want Lucifer to get angrier to the point that he will personally hunt you down?"

Hisoka chuckled. "That's the most entertaining thing you ever said." He stated while shuffling his cards, and then drew one. "What's the next step?"

"Separating them." Fuji simply said then smiled.

"I think I know the person for the job." The demented clown said and took out his cell phone. He dialled a certain number then tucked the device to his ear.

"Can we trust that person?" the doctor asked then finally shoved his annoying paper works aside.

"Of course. I would trust him with my life." Hisoka replied and his call was finally answered.

"Hello?" the person on the other line asked.

"Hello, Illumi. It has been a while."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

_One month later..._

Kurapika was finally discharged from the hospital, and, together with Kuroro, they returned to the Gushiken mansion with his Spiders. The Elite Seven were ordered to go back to the Bethel mansion to take care of some things. Personally, Kurapika preferred to stay in the Gushiken manor rather than in Bethel Island.

It was already ten in the evening and the blonde Kuruta is still widely awake, standing on the balcony that over looked the Kaede Gusiken district. The mansion is located on a mountain which makes it every far from the busy city below them. She remained standing until Kurapika felt another presence behind her.

"Can't sleep?" Kuroro asked and put an arm around her shoulders.

Kurapika only hummed in response and did not take her eyes off the beautiful night view. The couple stayed standing peacefully and silently until Kuroro finally suggested going back inside before she catches a cold. With a slight nod, the man led Kurapika back and closed the doors towards the balcony then covered them with the curtains. The blonde sat on the plush couch nearby by and grabbed a book, reading quietly.

"I didn't' know you can read a book upside down." She heard Kuroro chuckle.

True to his words, the book Kurapika was 'reading' was definitely upside down and she blushed furiously in embarrassment. Kuroro stalked towards her and sat beside the Kuruta, an amused smile plastered on his handsome face.

"Kurapika," Kuroro called out and the blonde turned her gaze towards him. His eyes held hers tightly and somehow, it glinted with an unfamiliar emotion that Kurapika was familiar with. "A month ago, you said that you want to forget."

"I did say so. Why?" she replied rather nonchalantly.

"Do you still want to?" he asked seriously.

Kurapika did not react for a while and just looked at his eyes, searching for an answer. Finally, she nodded slightly. Smiling, Kuroro bent down and brushed his lips lightly against hers. He pulled back to see her reaction and was amused when he saw her flushing brightly. He leaned forward again, and this time, the contact was a bit aggressive than the first.

With a swift movement, Kuroro had lifted her off the couch without breaking the kiss and sauntered towards the soft cushions of the bed. He laid her down gently, her back leaning against the headboard. Sensing that she really wanted this, Kuroro started by unbuttoning her shirt then careless threw it on the floor. He moved his lips downwards to brush them against her exposed skin while his right hand also unbuttoned his own night shirt. Kurapika's hands rose up and helped him with his clothes and a few agonizing seconds later, their garments were finally out if their way, freeing them from their uncontained desires.

Kurapika roamed her hands against his skin, touching and caressing his every pleasure point. She gasped when she felt his nip her neck and trailed down soft kisses down her chest. Suddenly, Kuroro had grabbed both her hands and pinned them above her head. She saw him grin at her mischievously under her half-closed eyes and Kurapika gulped soundlessly. Just then, the man had grasped a nearby shirt then used it to tie both her hands on the headboard, effectively confusing the blonde.

"Wha-" but before she can finish, Kuroro suddenly took her lips aggressively.

"Maybe you haven't noticed it but the last time we did this, you were the dominant one. This time, I'll have my way." He said in a ragged breath and Kurapika can't help but blush furiously.

Kuroro then remembered how he lost control of himself during her first time. He was drowned by too much intoxication that he almost forgot to be gentle because it was her first time. He brought back his lips to hers and when she parted them, he sought entrance as his tongue slid inside her, tasting her sweetness. Kurapika moaned as he sunk her in pleasure. He was taking her to a new territory, a much different one than their first. Because her hands were tied, Kurapika can't do anything but let the man do what he wanted to do to her.

"Ku... Kuroro." She whispered huskily. The man smiled and he brought himself face to face with her.

Finally, deciding that he had reached his limit, Kuroro penetrated deep inside her and she arched her back in indescribable pleasure. The bind in her hands loosened and she was finally free. She immediately clutched his back, digging her nails on his pale skin. Kurapika's eyes turned bright scarlet and Kuroro admired those beautiful orbs.

Just like Kuroro had said, he managed to make her forget everything with this one night full of ecstasy. Kurapika was thankful to have known him in her life. He, stepping into her life, was probably one of the best things that ever happened to her. He closed every painful wound inside her and is now doing his best to erase the scars that they left.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Kuroro woke up early in the morning and found the blonde sitting outside in the balcony, drinking coffees and reading a book. When he tried to sit up, he felt a little pain on his back due to their activity last night. The man chuckled at the thought and looked around the room, finding a set of neatly folded clothes on the bedside table.

After getting dressed, Kuroro called in for breakfast in bed then strolled towards his lover. Sensing his presence, Kurapika closed the book and looked at Kuroro, who had seated himself on a chair beside hers.

"So, did you forget?" he immediately asked rather mischievously.

Kurapika decided not to answer because he will only continue to tease her. Instead, she opened up another topic. "I heard that you're going to hunt down Hisoka." She said in a serious voice.

"Mmhhm." Kuroro hummed.

"I want to come along." Kurapika said, shooting him a stern look

"No." The man immediately replied.

"And why not? Better answer me this time, Kuroro."

With a sigh, Kuroro held her with his gaze firmly. "Because Hisoka might use you against me and no matter what, I won't allow that."

"Are you saying that I will be a burden?" she asked with and indignant tone and Kuroro can't believe that they're quarrelling early in the morning.

"That's not it, Kurapika. What I'm saying is that Hisoka will do anything to provoke me into fighting him, and that includes using you. If that happens, I might not be able to restrain myself and just kill him in an instant."

Kurapika was suddenly rendered speechless with his honest answer. His eyes were confirming everything. He's not lying, all he said are true.

"Why?" she asked almost in a whisper.

The answer that came next made her heart skip a beat.

"Because I love you."

Kurapika's eyes shifted from red then back to blue due to the sudden tightening in her chest. For Kuroro's part, this is the first he had ever uttered those three important words and he was glad he said it to her. Being honest with his emotions had never occurred inside him but ever since he met her, he had experience a lot of first times.

"Is my answer reasonable enough why I don't want you to come along?" the Spider head asked and Kurapika can't help but blush. Before she could answer, someone had knocked on their door three times.

"Sir? Your breakfast is here." The maid said and Kuroro stood up to get the door, leaving Kurapika relieved that she doesn't need to answer his question.

Her face is red hot and the blonde smiled slightly. "I love you too." She whispered to herself, careful not to let Kuroro hear her. There's no way she's going to say those embarrassing words right in front of him.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

**Author's Note:** _Secrets in Ryuusegai is finally over and this fanfic is coming to an end and I can't believe I wrote another love scene for these two! I'm sorry for what I did to Kairo but I just had to do it! If you're kinda confused about my explanation of the real mastermind of the Kuruta massacre, feel free to ask me. I have dropped a couple of hints during the past chapters. _

_In __**Chapter 7**__, Killua mentioned that Mr. Bethel hired his father to assassinate those who tried to kill Zali Bethel. In __**Chapter 2**__, there was a slight flashback of how Zali Bethel died and it was mentioned that she died of a mysterious illness. What really killed her is a nen curse. In __**Chapter 4**__, it was mentioned that Kairo Bethel visited Ryuusegai and helped them in their issues with the mafia because he hated people manipulating others since he once experienced it in his homeland too. It was also mentioned that he visited the city for the second time for a private business. __**In Chapter 16**__, it was mentioned that Kurapika's father, Kyouta Kuruta, removed the law of prohibition of marriage to outsiders._

_I guess that's all... maybe... I'm going to write a sequel to this story because something will happen. Hehehehe... I hope this chapter is worth the wait._

**Next**: _Kuroro leaves for the hunt for Hisoka with the rest of his Spiders. However, he made a big miscalculation. He thought that leaving behind Kurapika will keep her safe, but he was wrong. What is Illumi's role in Hisoka and Fuji's plans? What will those bastards do to separate Kuroro and Kurapika? Kairo Bethel is now gone just like what Kurapika wanted and he leaves everything in her care._


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Hunter x Hunter! I love Kurapika and Kuroro!_

**Warning**_**:**__I turned Kurapika into a girl here because I don't want my parents catching me writing yaoi. Sorry! Don't Kill ME! And expect wrong spelling and grammars since I did not properly edit this! Thanks!_

**Summary:** _Eight months after Kurapika's encounter with the Genei Ryodan, she found her long lost uncle and finally focused in finding her clan's eyes. What she didn't know is that Kuroro Lucifer already found someone who could lift the nen curse. RnR!_

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Chapter 22: A Broken Promise

Kurapika was never the type to secret fret over people who were about to embark on a journey. She never worried because she believed that everything will be okay. But no is a different situation. In the past few days, Kuroro had slowly gathered the rest of his Spiders that he dispersed many months ago. The Frankenstein look alike, the girl who uses the vacuum cleaner, the tiny person with hair all over his body, the mummy, and Killua's younger brother all came in the Gushiken Manor to discuss with their Danchou about their new mission.

Personally, Kurapika doesn't mind with all of them in her own house. However, the newcomers seemed a little wary around her. She couldn't blame them because, unlike Shalnark and the rest, they didn't spend enough time with her to know who she really is. But Kuroro did tell them everything that happened from time to time so they did not wonder why their Danchou suddenly wanted to hunt down the person he avoided for a long time; Hisoka.

Today is the day that Kuroro and his Spiders will leave and initiate the mission. Kurapika sat silently from afar as she watched Kuroro talking with Shalnark in a very serious manner. After he had told her his reason, she decided not to push it further and continue asking him to take her along with him. Kuroro must have felt her stare for he turned to look at her. Kurapika immediately looked away then grabbed the book she was bringing to pretend reading.

Kuroro smiled amusedly as he strode towards her. The rest of the Spiders glued their eyes on their Danchou and tried to suppress also amused smiles.

"Still upset about my decision?" he asked when he reached the place where Kurapika is sitting.

"Not really." The blonde replied flatly.

"One month." The man suddenly said and Kurapika looked up from her book with a confused expression.

"One month?" she asked and Kuroro nodded.

"After one month, I'll come back. During that time, wait for me." He said with a grin and the blonde Kuruta chuckled genuinely. Kuroro could say things like this because of his straightforwardness.

"U-huh. Is that promise?" she asked, refusing to be embarrassed by his words.

"You can say that." He replied, still grinning.

"One month it is then."

Kuroro turned to look at his Spider and they immediately pretended they did not hear their conversation a few moments ago. He gestured for them to wait for him outside and they silently complied. When they were finally gone, Kuroro sat down beside his lover and leaned his back to the couch, closing his eyes.

"You're not going yet?" Kurapika asked, feeling slightly awkward with their situation.

"You want to get rid of me that fast?" he asked amusedly and chuckled.

"I didn't-." But before she can retort, the Spider head suddenly wound his arm around her neck, then pulled her into a hungry kiss. His impulse movement shocked the life out of the blonde for a few seconds before she finally responded with equal fervency. This is going to be their last intimate contact before he leaves for a month and Kurapika was sure that he will keep his 'promise'. When Kuroro pulled back, he quickly stood up before the blonde scolds him for what he did.

"See you after one month then. And I expect some reward from you when I return." The man suggested naughtily which made Kurapika flush and still stunned by his earlier stunt.

He pushed the double doors open and steeped out. He looked around and saw the suspicious behaviour of his Spiders as if they heard what he said inside and are pretending they didn't.

Kuroro sighed inwardly. "Let's go." He simply said and walked out of the mansion to start the mission.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

_Two weeks later..._

In the past two weeks, Kurapika had been visited by different people. Gon, Killua, and Leorio all came to see how she was doing. It seems like they knew about her miscarriage and they went all out to cheer her up. Some members of the press also tried to infiltrate the Gushiken Mansion in order to steal an interview with the blonde. Fortunately, the Elite Seven finally returned to resume their duty of protecting her. Kairo Bethel's lawyers also came to see her in order to discuss with her the issue about her inheritance.

Kairo left Bethel Mansion with only a note that says, 'I leave everything to Kurapika and Kuroro' complete with his signature. That was most likely his will. Kurapika refused to take anything from him and kept on telling the lawyers to donate everything to charity programs. However, they said that Kuroro Lucifer gave specific orders not to do anything until he comes back. This annoyed Kurapika so much.

"Then I guess we have to discuss what you're going to do with Mr. Bethel's other investments in other countries." Atty. Sanada, one of the lawyers, said seriously.

But Kurapika is still not in the mood. "Maybe if you come back next week, then I may be able to entertain you. Not right now, please. I hope you understand, Mr. Sanada." She said with a deep sigh, as if emphasizing her point. She had been very moody lately.

"Of course, Miss Bethel." The lawyer nodded and scooped up his papers from the table then put them inside his briefcase. "Next week then. I hope you will be in a much better mood when we talk."

"Notify me when." Kurapika replied and stood up. She shook his hand in a professional manner before the man sauntered out of the room. The blonde finally let out a carefree sigh before finally plopping herself on her bed on her stomach.

"Two more weeks." The blonde whispered and her voice was muffled by the pillows.

Suddenly, she heard a knock from the door and Kurapika immediately sat up. "Come in." She ordered and Aki stepped inside with a smile on her face.

"Here's the thing you asked for, Kurapika-sama." Aki said and handed her a pink box.

Kurapika smiled back. "You can go now." She ordered and her bodyguard bowed before exiting the room.

The blonde looked at the small, seemingly harmless box. Since she experienced using this once, she's no longer naive and innocent. Kurapika stood up from where she was sitting and headed towards the comfort room, clutching the box with the label, '_Home Pregnancy Test'._

XXXXXXXXXXXX

It was a difficult decision to make but Kurapika finally decided not to run away from it. It's still a week before Kuroro's one-month deadline ends and she finally made up her mind. She will visit the Bethel Mansion once again. Kurapika didn't know what possessed her to do so but she just felt that she should. Also, she must go to the Kirin Island to relocate the scarlet eyes that were stored in there.

The airship Kurapika rode in finally landed on the Morei Airport. The blonde managed to convince the Elite Seven to let her go alone because this trip will be a very personal one. When she finally arrived in the Bethel Mansion, a sense of belongingness came rushing inside her chest. She can't blame herself because she had lived here for almost a year now. This is the place where many happy memories took place between her, Kairo, and Kuroro.

The whole manor is empty and the furniture sets are covered with white cloths, an indication that the place is no longer inhabited. A sudden pang of pain suddenly made her chest tighten. It was as if it was her fault why everything turned out the way it is right now. Gently, she made her way towards one familiar object that is also covered with a white cloth. Kurapika removed the said cloth, revealing a majestically looking grand piano.

A smile made its way to the Kuruta's lips as she pressed one key. Then, both her hands rested on the piano and she began playing one familiar composition that she once played with a certain black-haired man. Only this time, Kurapika knew both the left and right parts. The melody sounded so magnificent and pure that the blonde drowned herself into playing the whole masterpiece.

But she was suddenly interrupted when she heard a few claps from an unknown person not far away from her position. Acting on her instinct, Kurapika immediately summoned her chain rings to attack the intruder. But before she can even ask who it is, she instantly froze. Michael Fuji's innocent smiling face was looking at her brightly, his hands clasped together.

"That was a wonderful piece, Pika-chan." He complimented and Kurapika gritted her teeth.

"Bastard." She hissed and Michael frowned.

"Now, now, Pika-chan. I'm not going to do anything to you. Just hear me out." The doctor tried to explain but it fell on deaf ears when the Kuruta bombarded him with questions.

"What do you want? How did you find me here?" she asked angrily, her eyes threatening to turn scarlet.

The young doctor frowned deeper and in an instant, he disappeared only to reappear right behind Kurapika. With his quick reflexes, he was able to lock both her wrists behind her with unimaginable strength that made Kurapika wince in pain.

"Sorry about that, Pika-chan, but you need to see what I brought with me." Michael whispered seriously to her ears and took out what looked like a video recorder.

Kurapika tried to struggle but in terms of raw power, Michael clearly has the upper hand. No matter what she did to get out of his grasps, it was till futile.

"Here." The doctor said and showed Kurapika the video recorder. "There's one video footage here that explains what your dear Kuroro has been doing all this time."

At the mention of Kuroro's name, the blonde suddenly tensed up and looked at the video cam. She didn't understand it but a sudden cold feeling assaulted her and sent a vicious shiver down her spine.

"This footage will be enough to explain why Lucifer still hasn't returned to you even though he already found Hisoka." Michael continued and let go of her wrists. As expected, the Kuruta no longer struggled due to her being taken aback by what he said earlier. With a sly smile on his face, Michael turned the cam on, positioned himself in front of her, and then played the footage he has been talking about. "Watch and see for yourself."

The video continued playing as Kurapika watched silently, wanting to confirm what Michael is really talking about. She didn't know how he managed to get a hold of the information about the hunt down Hisoka mission and the one-month deadline that Kuroro promised her, but she set those thoughts aside and focused her eyes and brain on the footage.

In the video, she can clearly see Hisoka, standing and holding up his usual cards. In front of him, back facing the camera, is a man with slicked-back hair and wearing a familiar trench coat with the inverted cross on it.

"_What are your plans then, Kuroro?" Hisoka asked slyly then giggled. "Are you still going back to your precious Kuruta?"_

"_Whoever said she was precious to me?" Kuroro replied rather coldly and Kurapika felt her chest tighten. "I only went with her uncle's schemes because of the money for Ryuusegai. Now that her new object of hatred is Kairo Bethel, I no longer hold a responsibility towards her."_

"_Oh? I can't imagine her face when she hears you saying these things." The clown replied then shot the card on his left side._

"_I'm only going back in order to get my part in Kairo's wealth."_

"_Then?"_

"_Then leave her for good. There's no point making her hope too much." Kuroro replied with the same cold voice._

"_Are you still going to give me my fight?" Hisoka asked hopefully and Kuroro chuckled._

"_Why don't we play hide-and-seek after my business with the Kuruta is finished?" he asked with a smug smirk then turned around, his face now clearly visible in front of the camera._

Kurapika had hoped that it was not Kuroro who said those words but when he turned around, she was crushed. The video was only 1 minute and 37 seconds but it showed her one unforgettable and ugly _truth_; Kuroro Lucifer was only playing with her all this time. He was only after her money which he will use for Ryuusegai. How could she be so stupid? How could she trust him and give everything to him? He's a thief and a big liar for goodness sake!

Michael had sensed Kurapika's gloomy aura and he decided to comfort her. He pulled her gently into an embrace and the Kuruta just let him do so as she found it hard to gather her strength to push him away. He ran his fingers through her hair over and over again and let the girl rest her head on his shoulder.

"I told you, Kuroro is not the one for you. Be with me and I promise you that we will be happy forever. I will never ever leave you. I will give everything you want and I will-." Suddenly, he stopped and Kurapika pushed him away slowly, a sly smile on her face.

Michael looked down and found the blonde holding a Benz knife which she materialized and pierced on his left abdomen. His eyes widened as blood gushed out of his large wound. Kurapika pulled the knife out then stood up, staring blankly at him. The doctor fell down on the floor, dropped the camera that he was holding and she picked it up, taking out the memory card. She looked back at Michael's bloodied lying form.

"That's for my child." She said in a monotonous tone and the Benz knife disappeared. Her face was also stained slightly by blood and she wiped it away with her sleeves.

Then, without looking back, Kurapika exited the mansion to head back to the Gushiken district. A few moments later, Michael Fuji, the great One-Star Virus Hunter, breathed his final.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Elite Seven respected her decision of leaving. She left no explanation but it did shock them as to why she left them. Only a little note was left inside her room, saying, _'Take care of yourselves.'_ Three days more and Kuroro Lucifer will finally come back. How are they supposed to explain to him about this? Much more, how are they going to face him after telling him that their Kurapika-sama is once again pregnant with his second child?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hisoka silently sat on a bench located in a park, with his cell phone tucked on his ear, talking to the person on the other line.

"I have no idea why you made me do that but I must remind you that transfer the payment though wire. I'll text you my account number." Illumi said rather seriously and his demented buddy chuckled.

"Fine. But thanks to you, Kuroro will come to me himself. I know he has no intention of fighting me because his main target is Fuji." He replied. "See you later then."

"Bye."

And with that, Illumi hang up.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

**Author's Note:** _The next chapter will be a short epilogue that will lead to the sequel of this story. Well, I hope I wrote the part where Michael died well. I also hope that this chapter will satisfy you guys. _

**Next:** _Epilogue. We will see how Kuroro and Kurapika cope up with their lives after almost seven years of separation (I made it seven years to make their meeting more dramatic... teee hee...). Kurapika thought that seven years is enough for her to forget everything but her past continues to hunt her. What will she do? And can Kuroro accept her sudden disappearance? It just made him even more determined than before._


	23. Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Hunter x Hunter! I love Kurapika and Kuroro!_

**Warning**_**:**__I turned Kurapika into a girl here because I don't want my parents catching me writing yaoi. Sorry! Don't Kill ME! And expect wrong spelling and grammars since I did not properly edit this! Thanks!_

**Summary:** _Eight months after Kurapika's encounter with the Genei Ryodan, she found her long lost uncle and finally focused in finding her clan's eyes. What she didn't know is that Kuroro Lucifer already found someone who could lift the nen curse. RnR!_

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Epilogue: After Seven Years

_Is it really worth it?_

A question that Kurapika had asked herself nonstop for the past seven years. One of the reasons why she left was simply because she refused to let Kuroro get anything out from her inheritance. After all, her money is the only reason he had to put up with her. The money and the assets cannot be divided unless she and Kuroro talk about it with the lawyers. Of course, she will have to return someday, in hopes that Kuroro will be long gone and forget about everything, but the Kuruta did not expect it to take this long. Until now, the hurt is still there.

She grew up. From a seventeen-year old rich, emotionally unstable girl to a 24-year old mature woman. She gave up being a Black List hunter and switch into an Information Hunter for a famous publishing company. Kurapika would travel around the world, gathering information about unexplored areas and lands, and then write those collected data into a book. She enjoyed writing and publishing her works under the pseudonym Ayumi Suzuki. All these years, Kurapika did not use her Hunter's License Card in fear that either the Elite Seven or Kuroro will be able to track her down.

With a sigh, the blonde Kuruta resumed writing down her new book. She became easily famous with her works and her wage is more than enough for _their_ cost of living.

There's another reason why she left and it is because of _them_.

"Kurapika?" a deep voice suddenly interrupted the blonde from her train of thoughts. Kurapika turned her head and smiled at the man.

"Yes, Akutsu?" she asked. She's currently inside her own office provided by the publishing company where she works.

"A call from _them._" Akutsu grinned in response and Kurapika got up hastily with a smile, exited her office then walked towards the information centre where all calls pass through. Kurapika did not allow the publishing company to install a telephone inside her office and she herself does not bring a mobile phone. She wanted to be professional in her work always and she believed that phones bother her.

When she arrived, the woman currently in charge of the information centre gave her the telephone.

"It's them. They're just so cute, Kurapika." The woman said and giggled. Kurapika only smiled as she tucked the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Mommy!" the voice from the other end squealed excitedly at the sound of her voice. "Karin won't share the bunny you gave us!" suddenly, the voice changed into a much gentler tone.

"That's not true, Mama. Krisu nearly drowned the baby bunny that's why I'm protecting it." Karin explained in a controlled voice.

"I was giving Mr. Bunny a bath!"

Kurapika could only chuckle while listening to how her twins would argue over such trivial things. It kind of reminded her of those times with _him_. The twins would always call her for no reason and even though it sometimes bothered her in her work, she can't help but admit that it inspired her every day. She's not always around to spend some time with them.

"All right, why don't you two take turns of who will take care of Mr. Bunny? Is your Nanny Rosa there?" she asked and the twins fell silent.

"She's sleeping." Karin replied then was suddenly switched into Krisu's voice.

"Mommy, can I have a hamster? Please, please, please!" her little boy asked with the all too familiar pleading and cute voice.

"But you already have a puppy and a gold fish. I think that's enough, honey." Kurapika replied in a sweet voice although in the end, she would give him what he wanted.

"Alright, that's enough, Krisu. We're disturbing mama." Karin finally said then grabbed the receiver from him. "When are you coming home, Ma?" she asked hopefully.

"Don't worry. I'll be there soon." She replied and Karin sighed. It was always a wonder to Kurapika why her daughter is too mature for her age. Maybe it's because she got that personality from her father.

"Alright. Bye, Ma."

"Bye. Love you."

"Love you too, Mommy!" Krisu shouted from the other line.

And with that, Kurapika put the receiver down. She looked up and saw the woman in-charge smiling at her.

"Pets." The blonde briefly explained with a smile. Then, she turned to head back to her office to continue writing.

Her fraternal twins are just adorable. Karin looks so much like her and it could be said that she's the six-year old version of Kurapika. On the other hand, Krisu is just the spitting image of his father, complete with the obsidian eyes. Kurapika can't help but be always reminded by Kuroro Lucifer every time she looks at Krisu. But the funny thing about the twins is they didn't inherit the personalities of their respective look alike. Though Krisu looked like Kuroro, his personality is just like Kurapika's and the same goes with Karin. In fact, it is Karin who reminds her more of Kuroro than Krisu.

With an inward sigh, Kurapika sat back on her chair then continued writing. A knock from her door interrupted her again and the blonde is half-hoping that it's not her kids calling again. It was Akutsu, and he was holding a folder.

"Your new assignment from President Seiichi." Akutsu explained and gave the white folder to her. "Have you heard of the Underground River in Azian Continent?" he asked while watching Kurapika read her newest job.

"I have. That's a famous tourists' spot." She replied and flipped one page.

"Well, since you're an Information Hunter, the President is hoping that you'd get more info about what's the really at the end of the river. There are many rumours about the place being haunted while others say that there's a really big pile of gold and treasures found there."

"Too clichéd." She snorted.

"But one thing is for sure, no one is allowed to enter the cave for more than 200 meters because of the dangers beyond it." Akutsu warned. "But they let Hunters in with the expense of their own lives."

Kurapika thought deeply. Truth to tell, she had been dying to go and see the Underground River for herself. It's too mysterious and the blonde wanted to uncover its mysteries. However, she must think of her kids first. But what can a mere cave with a river inside it possibly do to her?

"Alright. I'll accept this." She said with finality in her voice.

"I'll inform President then. Good luck." Akutsu then hurriedly exited the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

_Three years ago..._

For four agonizing years, Kuroro waited for her, but she showed no sign of coming back. He didn't know what he did wrong to make her leave like that and he won't let her go until he hears it from her own mouth. He needed to know the reason why. If her reason is acceptable, he will give up on her.

It took them almost three weeks, but he found Hisoka of course... and they fought in exchange for the information where he could find Fuji. In the end, he won but the only thing Hisoka said was, _'Too late'_. Kuroro's biggest mistake is letting the demented clown live. He just felt that Hisoka might be of any help to him in the future. Machi also had a hunch that convinced the other members not to kill the bastard.

Hisoka told them that he had no idea where Michael is but he was sure that he's already with Kurapika. Kuroro hurriedly returned but just like what Hisoka said, it was already too late. The Elite Seven showed him the note she left and he crumpled it, his hands bristling in anger. He thought that she ran away with Michael but the next two days, it was broadcasted in the news that Michael Fuji was found dead inside the Bethel Mansion. Then, the Elite Seven told him that Kurapika made a personal trip towards the Mansion in the very same day she disappeared.

Surely something happened between Michael and Kurapika in there that led into this situation. But what is it?

Right now, Kuroro Lucifer is the one handling the Bethel Group of Companies with the help of his personal assistant, Yumiko. Under his leadership, he conquered the business world in a span of three years. But still, he's not the official owner of everything because 2/3 of the assets all belonged to Kurapika. He's just the one developing them. The others think that he is a super human because of his superior mentality and wise leadership. But aside from being the head of the business world, he's still the head of the Genei Ryodan. He and his group would meet up once a year to report their about search of the missing Kuruta to their Danchou. Until now, they have no luck. Kurapika is terribly good at hiding but she had to come back someday.

"Mr. Lucifer? The CEO of Seiichi Publishing Company already arrived." Yumiko said and Kuroro smiled at her. He's presently in a bookstore just beside the restaurant where he is supposed to wait for the CEO to arrive. He's fifteen minutes late and Kuroro decided to play around.

"Tell him to wait for a while. I'm not yet done here." He said and Yumiko nodded.

Kuroro traced his hands on the books until he found one interesting hard-bound book. _The Tales of the Dead Sea by Ayumi Suzuki_, he read. The man opened the book and read the first page. He was amazed as to how it was beautifully written. The words are colourful and each describing sentences are amazing. The author must be very passionate about books. He closed it then looked at the back cover. Usually, books like this have a picture of their author and a small biography about them, but Kuroro frowned when he found none. With a sigh, he purchased the said book then went back to the restaurant to start the meeting.

While walking back towards the restaurant, Kuroro saw a raven-haired little boy, about three years old or below, running towards him. Actually, he's running away from an old woman chasing him. When the boy was a few feet away from him, he almost stumbled down and luckily, Kuroro was able to catch him in his arms.

"My, my. You shouldn't run that fast or you'll hurt yourself." Kuroro smiled gently at the boy and carried him. He had enough experiences in dealing with children ever since he started visiting the orphanage that Kurapika was so fond of.

What shocked Kuroro are the boy's eyes. It was just like his, deep and dark. The woman who was chasing the boy stopped in front of them and gave Kuroro a grateful smile.

"Thank you, sir. This boy is too much for me to handle." She said, almost panting. "Come here, Su-chan. Don't make too much trouble for Mister here." She held out both arms so that Kuroro could transfer the boy to his nanny.

Unfortunately, the raven-haired boy turned away from his nanny, buried his face on Kuroro's neck, all the while saying, "No, no, no, no!" then he tightened his hug around Kuroro's neck.

"Su-chan." The nanny scolded firmly. "That's not nice. Let's go back now. Rin-chan is left alone in the day-care."

Kuroro could only chuckle. It seems like the boy became even more stubborn than before. "That's okay. I'll take him back." He offered and the nanny smiled.

"Sorry to trouble you, Mr...?"

"Kuroro." The Spider head replied and walked along the nanny back to the day care centre. He found out that her name is Rosa and she's Su-chan and Rin-chan's nanny.

"He's always running away whenever he has the chance. Their mother is not always around to look after them because of her work..." Nanny Rosa rambled but Kuroro barely listened to her rants. He was more focused on the uncanny resemblance of his own eyes with the boy's. Maybe it's just a coincidence. Maybe there are a few people around the world who had the same eyes as his.

"What about his father?" he asked Nanny Rosa to make her think that's he's actually listening.

"Oh, we don't know where the twins' father is." Rosa replied sadly and stopped walking. Kuroro realized that they finally arrived in front of the day care centre.

"That's too bad." He said with a smile and put Su-chan down on the ground. The little boy frowned when he did so and Kuroro fished out a candy from his pocket, which he got from Yumiko, then gave to him, earning a big smile in return. "Be a good boy, okay?" he said and ruffled his hair. Then, he waved good bye to the Nanny and resumed walking back to the restaurant.

When he finally arrived, the CEO immediately shook hands with him and they started.

"So, you want our publishing company to print out the Bethel Company Magazines?" the CEO asked, failing to suppress his excitement.

"That's right. I had my assistant do a background check on your company and found out that you've published the best books written in today's time. I think that makes your company highly qualified." Kuroro replied with his familiar smile.

"Ah, yes. Those books are all written by Ayumi-san." The CEO muttered but Kuroro heard him.

"Ayumi? Ayumi Suzuki?" the Spider head asked and took out the book he purchased a while ago. The CEO's eyes widened when Kuroro showed him the said book.

"I didn't know you're a fan of Ayumi-san." He said and chuckled. "She's the best writer of our company."

"Well, I can see that." Kuroro replied and opened the book. "Her way of writing is marvellous. It would be an honour to meet her someday."

_Back to the present..._

Oh, yes. He wanted to meet the woman behind all the fascinating books. Even after all these years, books are still his secret weakness. Ever since he finished reading the_ 'The Tales of the Dead Sea'_, he had been restlessly colleting all of Ayumi's works for four years now. This is the first time Kuroro had been truly fascinated by one writer who is truly devoted in her own works. Maybe, now is the time to know who this Ayumi Suzuki really is. He could hire her to work for him instead.

"Yumiko, are you there?" Kuroro called out and the double doors of his office swung open, a familiar figure entering.

"Yes, sir. Is there anything you need?" she asked.

"Put Mr. Seiichi on the phone. I'd like to have a word with him."

"Of course, sir." Then, his assistant disappeared. A few minutes later, his telephone rang, indicating that Yumiko had transferred the call to him now. He picked up the said phone, answering the call.

"Mr. Lucifer? Is there anything I can do for you?" Mr. Seiichi asked rather surprisingly.

"I'd like to set an appointment with Miss Ayumi Suzuki. I believe she's still working for you." He stated, formality evident in his voice.

"No problem, sir. When would you like to meet her?"

"Tomorrow, if it's not too much of a hassle for her."

Mr. Seiichi fell silent for a moment before finally answering. "That would not be possible, sir. Ms. Suzuki is currently in the Azian Continent, writing about the Underground River. She's going to be there for a while."

"Ah. A new book." Kuroro muttered and smiled. He suddenly felt excited, remembering that he coincidentally had a business trip somewhere in Azia. He could make a side trip towards the Underground River and watch the master writer in action. It would be a fascinating sight.

And besides, he needed a break from his work and _search_. He could bring along the Elite Seven and his Spiders to reward them for their hard work all these years. Yes, that wouldn't be a bad idea.

"Well, I think that would be all for now, Mr. Seiichi." After the president said good bye, Kuroro hang up and called back Yumiko, ordering her to put going to the Underground River in his to-do list. He also ordered her to call some certain people to come back to the Kaede Gushiken District.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

**Author's Note:** _Alright. That was an awfully long Epilogue, don't you think? Ehehehe. I hope this will satisfy you guys. I got the idea of the twins from a manga called Beauty Pop where the daughter looks like her mother but with her father's personality and the son looks like his father but with his mother's personality... (or is it the other way around?).Thank you for supporting Forced Trials all this time! Mwaaaahhh!_

**Next**_**:**__ Forced Beginnings_...


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